Soulless
by EternalxInsanity
Summary: Forty years ago, a bargain was made that allowed The Undertaker power of darkness. Now, the entity he made the bargain with wants her payment: his soul. But, for her, it won't be easy to retrieve; he won't part with it willingly. My spin on Greek Mythology and Dante's Inferno.
1. Prologue

Soulless

Summary: Forty years ago, a bargain was made that allowed the Undertaker power of darkness. Now, the entity he made the bargain with wants her payment: his soul. My spin on Greek Mythology and Dante's Inferno.

Prologue

There are nine layers in the Underworld; all but one have their own forms of torture and punishment for those unworthy of access to Heaven, Tartarus being the exception. On every level there is an entity that is in charge of what happens, an enforcer if you will. They report to me and _only_ me. My name, you ask? Be patient and wait, dear reader, and you will learn it.

There are few mortals who know of me and fewer still who have met me in person. Those who have are often the ones I bargain with. I give them gifts and powers beyond any recognition, but only for a limited time, and I get their soul. Rather simple, really. There had never been one single mortal who had escaped my bargain with his or her soul. If they've been bad enough, though, like Caroline Lawson for example, they get sent to the lower levels of The Underworld to be punished accordingly. Others, like her daughter Annabelle Lawson, who did little wrong over her life-time except commit incest, get sent to the River Styx to be bored and lonely for the rest of eternity.

The worst of the worst get sent to Caina, to me, and I dish out punishment. Some, like Mark Calaway, end up bargaining for their soul in those precious moments they have before I throw the book at them, sometimes literally. The story I'm going to tell you is a story I quite enjoy. I've told this to my disciples, and Hades and Persephone find it particularly funny. The beginning…? Well…


	2. Chapter One: The Fire

Chapter One: The Fire

 _Death Valley, California, 1970_

The soft, brown autumn leaves fell from their perches in the oak trees, wafting down to the ground as if they were puppets on invisible strings. An extra large, yellowish leaf landed on the slightly long, bronze hair of a ten year old boy as he sat on a tire swing in his back yard. Mark Calaway shook the brownish piece of flora from his head as he clung to the thick rope of the swing. Glenn, Mark's little brother, sat in the sandbox, completely content with playing in the sand, his floppy red hair billowing in the wind.

The back door to the funeral parlor opened and Mark and Glenn's mother came out, two large crates stacked in her arms, their contents jangling. Mark's eyebrow rose.

"Mark, sweetie, can you put these down the back with the rest of Daddy's things?" she asked, her red hair pinned back in a tight bun, loose curls flowing over her eyes.

Mark took a moment to study the cases before he jumped from the swing and walked over, grabbing the top case. In the little slots were empty and half-empty bottles of nitro glycerin and other chemicals used in preparing bodies for burial and cremation.

An idea struck Mark and a cruel smirk crossed his face just as Glenn came up beside him.

~X~

Sitting beside Glenn in the tree house, Mark stuffed a thin white strip of cotton into the top of the last jar of mixed chemicals. He and Glenn had spent the last few hours of the afternoon in the cramped confines making home-made Molotov cocktails.

Mark put the jar in a row beside the rest to admire his handiwork. Glenn's hands toyed with bit of cotton thread as he looked at his big brother.

"What do we do now, Marky?" asked the naïve eight year old. Mark looked at him, his mind going blank.

Even at ten years old, Mark was completely stupid. His idea of logic was pulling the wings off butterflies and watching them wiggle around, now flightless, insignificant insects. He had a sadistic tendency to him and it freaked his mother right the fuck out (his father didn't have time to deal with 'playful, stupid ten-year olds with the brains the size of a walnut'). Mark wasn't going to change for anyone, not yet at least; he was having way too much fun.

An idea struck him and he pulled a box of matches from his pocket. Glenn's blue eyes widened as Mark set one of the cotton strips in the jars alight. The fire burned down almost all the way down to the chemicals before Mark tossed it out the tree house window. The jar landed on the roof and shattered, spewing its burning contents over a small patch of dry leaves.

Glenn, being the goody-goody he was, ran back inside to warn his parents of his brother's psycho moment. As payback, Mark lit up another homemade grenade and flung it out the window and onto the roof. He continued to do this until the roof was consumed in flames.

Meanwhile, in the basement, a slither of flames from a jar that had landed through the cellar door (a misfire from Mark) ran across the ground on some oil and made its way to the leaky gas boiler. Once there, it caught the gas valve and exploded.

The explosion sent Mark flying as he stood watching the flames consume the life he loathed. He landed with a thud on the road, causing cars to screech to a halt. Mark rolled and the ground seemed to slip from beneath him and he fell down a dark hole…


	3. Chapter Two: The Oman

Chapter Two: The Oman

 _Caina, Bottom Level of the Underworld- 1970_

Mark landed with a teeth rattling thud on the ground outside a set of wrought iron gates. He groaned as he rolled over, coughing up a smallish cloud of red dust. Once it had settled, he sat up and rubbed his forehead; a thin trail of blood coiled down his skin, pooling in the corner of his eye then continued down his cheek. It seemed to stop as it reached his chin. This puzzled him; the wound on his head was completely new, why was the blood dry?

Running a hand through his bronze hair, he looked around. The ground was dirt, the rustic kind of dirt found in the desert, and the walls were made of limestone and granite. Wait… Mark did a double-take; Limestone wasn't naturally found in the desert… where the hell was he?

A loud cracking sound echoed around the cavern he was sitting in. Mark's head jerked up; one of the stalactites on the ceiling had cracked from its place and was about to fall. The boy jumped to the side and looked over as the rock crumbled against the ground into small rock shards, right where he'd been sitting. Mark blinked; what in the hell was going on?

"See!"

Mark's head jerked in the direction of the voice, spying a man- at least he thought it was a man- with snow white hair and deep, charcoal-black skin and a woman with chestnut tresses that flowed down her shoulders, her fair skin dotted with freckles.

The woman smiled at the dark skinned-man. "I'm sure it was nothing."

The man scowled at her and, completely ignoring the confused Mark who sat a few feet away, strode over to the rock that had cracked. He examined it for a second then turned back to the woman.

"These things don't just fall on their own, Persephone," he growled at her. She giggled, a sound that made her look very out of place in… wherever they were.

"It doesn't mean the Apocalypse has started, Hades." Her eyes traveled to Mark and she smiled warmly at him. "What is your name, child?"

Mark was lost for words for a moment. Compared to the paranoid brashness of Hades, Persephone was pretty nice, a breath of fresh air. Her smile was completely genuine and the air around her seemed pleasant.

"M-m-m-m Mark C-c Calaway," he stuttered, not out of fear, but out of coldness. He was freezing, even if fountains of fire had been exploding from the crevices and the canyon below. Mark was definitely brave.

Hades' eyes narrowed as Persephone toyed with her braid like a naïve child, watching the boy closely.

"Could you follow us please, Mark?" She said sweetly.

Mark stared at her for a minute before opening his mouth to speak.

"Where am I?"

It was silent, apart from the screams echoing around the cavern and the explosions from the pit below, before he got a reply. A shadow had appeared behind Persephone and it was the one to speak.

"In the Underworld."


	4. Chapter Three: The Queen's Bargain (1)

Chapter Three: The Queen's Bargain (Part 1)

 _Caina, Bottom Level of the Underworld- 1970_

Mark's eyes widened as Persephone and Hades split apart. Hades bowed to a knee and lowered his head, his white hair flopping over his shoulders, while Persephone took a step back and lifted the corner of her gown, bowing at the new comer.

The woman stepped between the duo and eyed Mark. She had long, midnight black hair that flowed down to her waist and flicked back and forth as if blown by the wind. She wore a black and purple top that barely covered her bosom and showed all of her stomach. The skirt she wore was also black with a purple lace slit up the side, showing her bare legs. A thick silver chain hung around her waist and one end of it hung to the floor. Her skin was pale white and her features were narrow and smooth. When she walked, the bells and charms on her ankles and wrists jangled. When she stepped into the light, Mark shivered; her eyes were that abysmal black all the way through, the only indication that she wasn't human. Veins lined the corner of her eyes and she stared blankly at Mark.

"The Underworld?" Mark asked stupidly and the woman nodded.

"The bottom level to be exact. I wonder what you could have done to have been sent down here."

Mark blinked; images of Glenn and his parents flashed through his mind and he turned away. The woman popped an eyebrow and she put her hands on her hips.

"I am Lady Iremia, Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment and ruler of all who are damned, but you will call me Serenity. You're a bloodthirsty killer and you're only ten years of age. I'm impressed," she mused, offering the boy her hand. He took it and stood, surveying her face. She didn't seem like the type of person to be easily impressed and this lead to a smug sense of satisfaction easing its way into Mark's subconscious mind.

She smiled and released Mark's hand, leaving a prickling feeling behind. "And for that, I'm going to make you a deal."

Before Mark could respond, Persephone jumped to his apparent rescue.

"M'lady, please; he's just a boy," she pleaded but was silenced by a glare. She hung her head and stepped back. Hades stepped beside the woman.

"Permission to speak, Lady Iremia," he said quietly, his fingers lacing with Persephone's.

Serenity raised an eyebrow and bobbed her head once, keeping her eyes on Mark.

"Persephone has a point, M'lady. He is only a child. Perhaps you could be more lenient on him."

Serenity's lips twitched and she turned her head slightly. Some unknown force sent Hades flying back against a wall. As Persephone shrieked and rushed over to check on him, Serenity turned back to Mark.

"Good help is so hard to find these days," she said, grinning. Mark shivered and looked at her, slightly scared; Serenity's appearance and behavior was definitely frightening.

"Is there something you've always wanted to be, Mark?"

Mark thought about this for a second. For the last few years of his life, he'd wanted to be a pilot, but that now sounded boring. Serenity was offering a second chance so he had to make the most of it. Mark looked over at Hades as the two huge gray wings extended themselves and flipped him back to his feet. He cracked his neck and dusted off his clothes. The small boy looked back at Serenity with a sly smirk on his face.

"Lord of the Underworld," he said. Serenity smirked, looking like she was taking it into consideration. Hades, on the other hand, turned a light shade of gray as opposed to his usual dark skin tone.

"That's my-"

He was silenced again when Serenity sent him flying, this time off a cliff. Persephone shrieked and chased after him again as Serenity turned back to Mark.

"That position is unfortunately occupied."

 _Obviously_ , Mark thought and he reconsidered. _What do I wanna be…?_ An idea struck him as he looked at Serenity. She was powerful, he could tell that right off the bat, and people respected (or feared) her. He'd be damned if he couldn't have that.

Serenity's eyes flickered between red and black then stayed black and she smirked, hoisting the small child off his feet, a few feet in the air. He stared at her like she was going to eat him.

"Don't even think about it," she said, a slight growl in her voice.

Mark grinned cutely, trying to win her over, but all she did was scowl. His smile faded as she put him back on the ground.

"Okay," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Give me all the powers over darkness and immortality."

As Mark was ten he didn't exactly know what that meant, but he didn't care; it sounded cool.

Serenity grinned and offered him her hand.

"I'll give you thirty years as the Lord of Darkness. And I only ask for one thing in return-" she paused as a black dragon tattoo appeared on her arm. Its tail curled all the way down her arm and stopped at the center of her palm where its head was situated, its mouth open wide. "- and that's your soul."

Not knowing what the hell he was doing, Mark shook her hand once and let it go, his hand stinging. Just before he was catapulted back into his body, Mark heard Serenity and Persephone exchange words;

"But M'lady, he's just a boy."

"He won't be come judgment day."


	5. Chapter Four: The Powers

Chapter Four: The Powers

 _Death Valley, California- 1970_

When Mark returned to his body, Paul Bearer, the intern who had worked for his parents, was attempting to give him CPR. The small boy jerked awake and kicked away, staring at him. Then he directed his attention to the burning house behind him. The entire parlor was in a fiery ruin, scorched and burning, a beacon against the night sky. He'd been gone a while then; it was mid afternoon when he'd left, and the moon was high in the sky now.

 _What have I done?_ Mark thought, running his fingers through his bronze tresses. He'd killed his entire family in one short afternoon. In the span of a few hours, Mark had turned himself into an orphan with no one else to turn to besides the fat fuck who was trying to help him. What would he do now?

As he sat contemplating his future, storm clouds bunched together overhead and lightning cracked across the sky, lighting everything up, illuminating what was left of the house. Rain started to pour and splatter against the hot desert ground, leaving a trail of static air behind it. It took him a moment, but he realized it was him that was doing it. His grief from murdering his parents had manifested into something pertaining to mercy. The storm clouds were him trying to fix his mistake.

A soft whisper danced through his head like fine wine, trailing its way to his consciousness.

"This is merely a taste of what you can now do," said the voice, the voice of the Lady Serenity. "In time, your powers will grow and you will become unstoppable."

Mark shuddered at the thought.

No, he wasn't going to let his powers become destructive. He would use his new found talents for something useful, a force for good. He would hunt for demons and bad guys, sending them to Hell in a Hand-basket. He smirked at the idea. He wouldn't be used as Serenity's puppet.

~X~

As the years went by, Mark grew from slightly-psychopathic child, to hormonal teenager, in the watchful care of Paul Bearer, and the family that decided to take him in, ironically his aunt and uncle. Due to not having any kids themselves, Mark called them his parents, as the memories of his own were fading fast from his mind, replaced with useless trivia about Pythagorean theorem and Shakespeare's classics.

He was putting his text books in his locker during his junior year in 1977 when he saw her. She was a tall, ebony haired beauty with the face of an angel. She had freckles dotting her nose, a beauty spot just below her eye and deep green eyes, almost like emeralds. Her skin, dotted with even more freckles, was like a mocha latte. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the same year as him, in most of his classes, and her name was Jodi Lyn. She never noticed him though; she was the hippie, Wicca chick who always had flowers in her hair. He was the biker boy who always had a smear of grease on him from working on his motorcycle. They were in two separate worlds.

But somehow, fate decreed they would meet.

As he was putting his last book in his locker, Jodi stopped next to him. She smelled of cherry blossoms today, which seemed appropriate, given that she had a few tied to her headband. Her hair was down today, curling to just below her collar-bone. She was wearing a black dress with a faded brown tree on it, what he knew to be the Tree of Life. She wore stone-wash jeans underneath with black sandals, an interesting combination. He stopped, surprised that she was next to him.

"Hello," she said, her voice like a sweet song. He smiled politely at her, trying not to imagine her pinned against the wall as he ravished her neck. She continued to smile at him. She was holding her books and a big stack of papers. "I know what you are, you know." She grinned at him then, showing off her beautiful teeth. He bawked; had she seen him under the bleachers lighting a cigarette with his thumb? Had she seen the black dot on his hand from when Serenity's stupid dragon tattoo had bitten him? No, not possible. He was so careful when he used his abilities. No one besides Paul ever saw him use them.

"Uh..."

"You're different, like me."

He stood frozen to his place. _Oh Goddess, she's on to me..._

"You don't think like they do. You want to change the world, like me."

Mark let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Oh, she thought he was a rebel. Well, he was, technically, but what he did on his weekends was a little bit more than just taking a sick day at school and riding along the highway on his Harley.

"Uh, sure, I guess." He closed his locker and turned to face her properly. She smiled at him, reaching onto her stack of papers. She produced one and handed it to him.

"I'm having a beach party to celebrate Ostara," she said.

"You mean the pagan version of Easter?" he said, looking at the piece of pink paper. It had a naked woman on it, holding a basket of brightly colored eggs and a rabbit sitting at her feet. It had the date and time of the beach party, followed by 'Blessed Be.' A cute sentiment.

"You know it?"

Mark smiled and followed the flier, putting it in his pocket. "Yeah, I learned about it a few months ago when my Dad showed me an old calender. It had all the pagan holidays on it."

Jodi smiled brightly. "Very cool. So will I see you there?"

Mark smiled. "Sounds like fun."

"Cool! See you later." And then she was gone, almost as quickly as she'd arrived. Mark watched her go, feeling himself grow warm.

No, wait, it was his hand that was growing warm. He turned to face his locker just in time as his hand suddenly burst into flames. The black tendrils licked the corners of his books and singed them. He had a tub of water in his locker for this very reason, so he dunked it in, watching the steam rise. Removing his hand, he watched as his charred flesh healed over, going back to the light tan it had always been. He sighed, closing his locker and face-planting the metal panel.

This wasn't the first time his powers had exploded at the most inopportune time. When he was eleven, he'd been grounded for stapling posters to the wall and had found himself engrossed by black flames. When the flames subsided, he was outside in the back yard, underneath the big maple tree that stood in the yard. When he was fifteen, also known as Attack of the Rabid Hormones, he'd been exploring the attic and had found himself levitating above a massive spider as it made its way across the floor. Other powers had manifested too; telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to shape-shift. They made his life incredibly interesting. And now, at the age of seventeen, he was randomly bursting into flames. Fantastic, just what any hormonal teenager wants. Puberty was a bitch, and for Mark alone, it was Hell.


	6. Chapter Five: The Rage Within

Chapter Five: The Rage Within

 _Austin, Texas- November 28_ _th_ _, 1985_

Mark woke screaming into the crisp night air. His bedroom window was open, the wind billowing the curtains back and forth, his breath escaping his lungs in a fine white mist. He was freezing, but it wasn't the cold that was making him shiver; it was his lonely heart. Not even twelve hours ago, fate had driven a stake into his heart; it had taken his beloved Jodi from him. Curled up around him were the three miracles he and his wife had created. Aprilee, Annabella and Gunner, fast asleep, holding each other for dear life. They didn't understand, not really. Jodi had drilled the idea of the Otherside so far into their brains that they knew where she was, they knew she'd gone over to join Mark's real parents in the great fields beyond.

Mark knew otherwise. He knew, soon enough, that Jodi would be put in a pine box and lowered into the ground, surrounded by flowers and pictures of her. He didn't need to remember what she looked like. Her face, her body, her scent, everything about her was ingrained in his memory forever, a constant reminder of the beauty he'd lost. It was like someone had driven a knife in his heart, and nothing would stop the pain.

Except the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment.

Uncurling April, his eldest daughter, from around his waist, Mark climbed out of his bed and pulled on a hoody and his combat boots. There was only one way to settle this, and that was to trade his soul again.

Leaving the house locked up, he gave orders to his English Mastiff, Zeus, to watch over his children as they slept, and headed off in the direction of the park that was nearby. It would be empty at this time of night, as most of the inhabitants of their street would be asleep or at work, giving him the perfect opportunity to summon the Great Goddess from her throne in Hell.

"I summon thee, Great Goddess Iremia, to come before me in my hour of need," he said, drawing a pentagram in the sand. Summoning Serenity would be a task and a half, as from what he'd read, she was a very private and lonely Goddess. He sat down in front of the pentagram and pricked his finger, drawing enough blood to drop into the center of the star. He expected her to rise up from the flames, bringing him one step closer to getting his beloved Jodi back.

The wind whistled over head, bringing with it the chill of the end of autumn. Besides that, it was quiet. Silent. Mark looked around; the park was shrouded in complete darkness, hiding his sacrifice from any passersby. He knew the dark Goddess could hear him, but she was obviously ignoring him.

"Dammit, Serenity, please. I need you."

A single tear slipped from his eye and landed in the sand as he curled into himself, holding his knees to him. It was this tear that triggered the reaction he wanted.

"Mark Calaway."

His head shot up as Serenity came into view, appearing within a tiny tornado that had sprung up. He saw her silhouette in the darkness and stood. She stepped into the beam of light and his breath caught in his throat. She was the same height as she was when he'd met her fifteen years ago, but her hair was cropped short, to just above her shoulders, and she wore a black leather, under-bust corset with a flowing skirt underneath. The bells were still on her feet, but more chains had been added. She wore the chain belt around her waist as well, but it had two separate chains that hooked up to cuffs on her wrists. A pentagram was around her neck, attached to what looked like a velvet choker chain. She looked like a Gothic priestess.

"It's been many years, my dear," she said as he stood up straight, feeling the air around him get colder. She stepped up to him and pressed her pale hand against his chest. "You've grown so much. You've become a much better man than I ever thought my favorite little psychopath would."

He blinked. "I'm your favorite?"

Serenity nodded, bringing her hand up to touch his face gently with the tips of her fingers.

"Yes, my dear. I watch over you like a mother would watch her child."

"That's not creepy at all."

Serenity smiled, and Mark felt the blood drain from his face.

"What is it that you need from me?"

"My wife back."

Serenity stopped, dropping her arm back to her side. Mark could feel the darkness curling around them. The Dark Goddess was getting angry.

"You summoned me from my throne to beg for your wife back? How very typical of the human species." She stepped away and leaned against the tree that stood tall behind her. "What reason exactly do you have to ask this of me?"

"I love her, and she's left me alone to raise three young children."

The smirk on Serenity's face got bigger.

"You have nothing to bargain with, Markus. Your soul is already promised to me, and I have no need of a broken heart."

"Please, Lady Serenity, I don't know what else to do."

Mark dropped to his knees, feeling rage convulsing through him. Of course Serenity wouldn't help him; he knew it was coming from the casting of the circle. She was the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment after all; if he had nothing she wanted, she wouldn't help him.

"You can learn a lesson from this, my dear Markus," she said, turning his chin up so he was facing her. The dark veins had appeared near her eyes and her irises were starting to turn black. He blinked at her, confused. Serenity smiled and used her own powers to bring him to his feet. "Humans as a species are fueled by a need for social activity and connection. Their search for that spark of life is often what drives them to wed and bear children. But humans forget the consequences for their selfishness. You have forgotten that you are not entirely human, and also completely flawed. You would do well to remember that you don't belong here with them, nor do you belong below with me. You are a ghost, neither here nor there, but are bound to wander for all time. Fate has decided to punish you for your ignorance, so I cannot help you."

Mark's rage decided this was the perfect moment to bubble over and he launched himself at the Goddess, only to phase straight through her. He landed face first in the sand, his hands digging into the coarse ground beneath him. He turned, just as Serenity was reforming herself, laughing hysterically.

"Bring her back!" he raged, jumping to his feet once again, ready to take a shot at her demonic face. She laughed and floated up into the tree, letting her feet dangle as she lowered herself onto a branch.

"I cannot without the proper proceedings, and like I have stated before, you have nothing I want nor value. Go back to your children, Markus, spend what little time you have left with them, raise them to be decent human beings. But always remember that I will be watching and you forever will be my puppet."

And with a satanic laugh that rang in his ears like a gong long after she was gone, Serenity disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Mark dropped to his knees and screamed, letting his anger echo through the empty streets.

All was lost now; he'd never see his beautiful Jodi ever again.


	7. Chapter Six: The Return

Chapter Six: The Return

 _Los Angeles, California- June 14_ _th_ _, 1997_

As the years went by, Mark's heart began to heal. His children were growing up faster than he would like them to, and the world was changing around them. People were more open about their craft and Mark could now freely wear the pentagram necklace he and Jodi had exchanged on their wedding day. Gunner, Anna and April, now in the thralls of puberty, were learning to live their lives without their mother, and Mark's job as a member of the WWF roster meant new babysitters every week as their father traveled the globe in search of inner peace.

On one of his off days, while Gunner and Anna were at school, Mark was outside repairing the tree-house. He'd gotten into an argument with Gunner about April running away which had caused a rage outburst. April had done a very silly thing and gotten herself pregnant, and so, a year ago, she had run away, moving to Chicago to raise her baby away from its father. Her family hadn't heard from her since she'd left. Mark sighed as he lifted a wooden plank from the ground and climbed the ladder to repair the hole he'd caused. After his children had left, he'd blown a hole into the side of the tree-house with a fireball, letting out a little bit of his bottled-up anger. Now he was fixing it, because if his kids found our he had mystical powers, they'd be terrified of him and that was the last thing he needed.

Just as he was hammering in the last nail, the phone started ringing off the hook. He back-flipped from the tree-house onto the decking and walked inside, wiping sweat from his brow. It was a hot day in LA and all he wanted to do was stay inside with a glass of whiskey and a good book, but he didn't have that option today. Instead he was spending the day in the sun, trying to fix his mistakes, which he'd done for most of his life.

Reaching for the phone, he looked away and coughed, clearing his throat so he could have a clearer conversation with whoever was calling him.

"Calaway Residence, Mark speaking," he said, pulling off his thick gloves and placing them on the table under the phone. The high-pitched voice of Paul Bearer was the sound to greet him.

"Mark! Mark, I'm so sorry! I didn't know this was going to happen! If I did, I would never have-"

"Whoa, Paul, slow down. What's going on?" Mark asked, concern filling his voice for his friend and mentor. He seemed more panicked than usual. Mark hadn't seen Paul in a few years, due to Mark not having the time to go to Austin and visit, but he always tried to call.

"You mean he's not there yet?"

Mark blinked. "Whose not here yet?"

Paul went silent for a moment. Mark blinked, looking out the window to see a few leaves rattled from the trees due to the wind. After a few minutes, Mark let out an exasperated sigh.

"Paul, who are you talking about?"

Paul let out a tiny squeak before he began speaking again.

"Mark... it's... it's Glenn. He's still alive and he's coming-"

It was at the 'still alive' part of that sentence that the phone slipped from Mark's hand and hit the floor with a clatter. His baby brother was still alive? After all this time, Glenn had survived the fire?

Mark grabbed for the phone. "Paul, what did he say?"

"He said he wants you to pay for what you did to him, starting with them. I don't know what he meant by that."

Mark's eyes bulged from his head as he realized exactly who Glenn was talking about.

Defying the logic meter going haywire in his head, he hung up the phone and flamed out, teleporting to the alley way just outside Venice Beach High School. He poked his head out from around the corner and tried to find the twins in the crowd. Gunner wasn't hard to find; he was standing on a table, being the show off that he was. His girlfriend, Cassie, was sitting on the seat, breast-feeding their one-month-old son, Carter. Gunner flipped onto one hand and waved at Anna and her boyfriend, Scott, as they walked past. They were heading for the library. It was lunch time, so the school was bustling with people. Mark flamed out again, this time teleporting behind the library building on the side with the car park. Just as Anna walked past, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

"Dad!"

"Hi, honey, how would you like to come home early today?"

Anna bawked. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm taking you and Gun home now. Some things have come up and I need you there."

Before Anna could say anything in return, Mark grabbed her hand and dragged her over to Gun, pushing past Scott, who watched his girlfriend and her father leave with a very confused look on his face.

After rounding up both of his children and taking them home, Mark ushered them into the attic where they were told to stay until he came and got them. With some protest, he managed to convince them to stay put, promising to up both of their allowances if they did.

It was sunset before Mark actually heard anything. He was sitting in the kitchen starring out the window when he saw the shadow move between the tree-house and the back wall. Mark knew this pattern all too well; it was one he himself had used when it came to tracking demons through the city. Bob and weave.

Mark reached for the baseball bat he had stashed near the back door just as the sliding door slid open. He readied it and swung as a massive arm poked through the hole, plastering it against the wall.

Through a wail of expletives, Mark grabbed the guy who was attempting to break into his house. The figure was heavy, maybe a little over three hundred pounds, but with Mark's amplified strength, throwing the guy against a wall was no problem.

He looked at the figure before him. Long red hair, and dark circles around the eyes, like bruises. A black and red-striped mask covered most of the face, but Mark could see his eyes; ice blue and white. Heterochromia, but not natural by the look of the scars around the eyes. He was wearing a red t-shirt, dirty and torn, a pair of ripped jeans and combat boots. He was huge too, as Mark had predicted; broad shoulders, chiseled abs, clearly defined under his shirt, and thighs as thick as tree stumps.

"Hello, big brother," he grunted as Mark pressed his forearm up against his throat. Mark grinned.

"Hello, Glenn. Lookin' a bit ragged there, buddy. Been through the wars?"

"Of course you start this with useless banter," Glenn said, his voice sounding strained. It was rough, like someone had forced Glen to choke on gravel. From the fire, most likely.

"Why not? You are my brother, and I am happy to see you," Mark said, letting Glenn go, stepping back to keep the distance between them. Glenn scoffed.

"Likely story, no doubt Paul called you to tell you I was coming, and you did try to hit me with a bat."

"You tried to break into my house and murder my children."

Mark could tell his disfigured brother was smiling under the mask.

"Touche. You took everything from me, Mark. I lost it all while you gained it all; beautiful house, beautiful kids. I'm going to take them from you, as soon as I find them, as punishment for your crimes."

Mark growled, feeling his anger rage within him. He'd lost his parents and his wife, no way known to the Gods above was he going to lose his children, his very last shred of humanity. So, ignoring his normal instinct to hide his abilities, he let his rage consume him and felt a fire burn within him he hadn't felt before. It wasn't until he was mid-jump that he realized he was completely on fire and tackling his brother through the sliding glass door and into the back yard.

Before Glenn even had a chance to react, Mark brought his fist into his brother's face, throwing him all the way back against the tree, rustling its leaves to the ground. He got up and growled, spitting blood as he launched himself at Mark, rage in his eyes. Mark grinned and flamed out, reappearing behind Glenn, spinning-heel kicking him in the back and forcing him face-first into the back wall. Glenn reared, shaking off the shock before he turned back to face Mark. He bawked, stepping back as he saw his brother before him. He was shaking with rage, his eyes red like fire. He was surrounded by jet-black flames, screaming into the air like rabid banshees. He stepped back, obviously realizing he was in too deep.

"Leave."

Glenn stepped back again, feeling the brick against his back.

"I-"

"Leave and never come back. If I find you in my city again, I will gut you and paint the walls with your entrails, understand?"

Glenn blinked and saluted, realizing this battle wasn't worth fighting, not alone anyway.

"Understood, I have better people to find anyway."

And with that he bolted out the back gate and into the darkness.

Mark let out a sigh as the fire around him dimmed. As it went out, the sound of the world around him rushed in again, and he heard the faint sound of clapping. Looking around he saw nothing but darkness, dim and dank. Using his heightened senses, he followed the sound to the roof. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

On the roof, curled on a black cloud, was Lady Serenity, smirking and clapping. She looked the same as she had before except she was wearing a black halter dress and ballet flats.

"I came to see my handiwork in action," she said, curling a finger in her jet-black hair. Mark growled and readied a fireball, aiming it at the black Goddess' face. She smirked. "Oh please, as if that would hurt me. I gave your powers to you if you recall."

"You sent him here, didn't you?"

Serenity smirked again.

"I had to test you; your powers are at their peak now. I wanted to make sure you were ready."

"Ready for what?"

Serenity winked as she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Mark more than a little confused.


	8. Chapter Seven: The Fight

Chapter Seven: The Fight

 _Venice Beach, California- October 15th, 1997_

The timer on his life was ticking down fast. Mark had three years left with his soul and he had three kids and a girlfriend to worry about. He'd been with Sara little over a year now, and she had become a staple in their household, so much so that's she'd moved in after they'd gotten back from their holidays in Thailand. To top it off, April had returned as well, a very different person but still his daughter. If he left them now, he'd regret every life decision he'd ever made. The timer had always been in the back of his mind, letting him know how royally screwed he was, and right now, he was running out of time.

As the years ticked away, he dove deeper and deeper into the history of magic and how soul reaping actually worked. From what he could tell, it was a painful experience that would force him to relive every single one of his worst memories; Jodi's Death, the fire, Glenn... everything he'd ever done wrong. And then, prolonging his death, he would watch his family grow, whither and die. Then and only then, Serenity would finally take what was hers. The human soul spread throughout the entire body, unseen and silent, and controlled actions based on a moral compass. Having it torn from you would essentially flay you alive.

Mark was out running one night, trying to figure out exactly how to get out of this. The only thing he knew of was trying to convince Serenity to take the powers he had back and return him to mortality. But that opened a separate can of worms; what would happen to him if the powers were taken from him? Would he revert back to being a child or would he whither and die because he was living on stolen time? These thoughts plagued him as he ran, feeling his sneakers hit the dirt path in front of him, sending shock waves up his body and into his already scattered mind. Beside him was Zeus, his ever loyal dog, keeping pace with his master. He could tell something was off with Mark because he didn't stray too far, making sure to stay close. Mark appreciated that; it's the reason he had gotten Zeus to begin with. The other dogs at the shelter had been terrified of him, backing into corners or whimpering at him. Zeus, even as a pup, had come directly over to him and licked his hand.

Mark smiled as he skidded to a stop on the steps that lead down to the beach; this was his usual path. Calaway Manor, the house he lived in with his children, was up in Horizon Heights, at the very top of the street. It overlooked the beach and majority of Windward Plaza, a shining beacon in the bleak world he lived in. The path he took from home took him down to just before the turn off for downtown LA, past Windward Plaza and onto the beach, where he would make the trek home, up the other side of the Heights and through his back gate. He'd only recently figured out that the path he made in his mind made the sign of a Triquetra, a powerful pagan symbol that represented womanhood. It was also the tattoo Jodi had on her wrist.

He smiled at the thought; Jodi would be pitching a fit if she could see how far he'd strayed from his intended path. She would probably throw her Book of Shadows at him and scream obscenities until he was deaf.

As the moon hung over head, and as Mark thought of the wonderful memories of his wife, he heard a muffled scream over the crash of the waves that smacked against the beach. His ears piqued with curiosity, his eyes scanning the area. It was empty except for himself and Zeus, who was sitting at his feet, waiting to keep going. Mark scratched his playful pooch's head as he went down the steps, following the sound. Using his keen senses, he could hear fighting, a woman and her partner screaming at each other. He found them, down at a place he and Sara visited a lot; Crystal Cove. They weren't very old, late twenties maybe. They seemed to be in a massive argument. The woman, who appeared to be about 5'6, had dark hair, reaching to at least her mid-back and was visibly pulling away from the guy, who was about 6'1, short hair and muscles that would almost rival Mark's own.

"Conner, please, just let me go," the woman pleaded, trying to yank her arm free from his grip.

"You know I can't do that, Emily. You're mine," the guy replied, pulling her to him and holding her wrists, tight enough to force her to yield to him.

Before Emily could scream, Mark grabbed the guy's hand and yanked him away from her, twisting his hand behind his back. This forced him to let go of Emily and drop to a knee.

"You wanna let go of the lady?" Mark growled, digging his thumb into Conner's wrist and forcing it forward. Conner groaned, dropping to both knees. "Or do I have to knock you into next week?"

"Dammit, you're gonna break my arm."

"Apologize."

Conner looked up at Emily, whose expression had changed from shock to relief. She looked between Conner and Mark.

"Sorry," Conner said, moaning as Mark shoved him to the ground.

"Maybe you should find a new place to hang out after dark," Mark sneered, warning glare in his eyes. Conner got to his feet and dusted off his jeans, looking at Mark with a dirty gaze. He walked off in the direction of his car, parked just outside the access point to the cove. Mark turned to Emily.

"You didn't need to do that," she said, smiling in gratitude. He smiled in return.

"The Crystal Cove is a nice place. My girlfriend and I come here all the time; we'd like to keep it that way." He smiled and ran a set of fingers through his hair. "Besides, you kind of remind me of her. I hope to the Gods somebody will stick up for her if some asshole ever does her that way."

Emily's smile only grew.

Meanwhile, inside the Amethyst Palace at the very center of Caina, Lady Serenity was lounging in her throne, having dealt with another unfortunate soul to cross her path. They seemed to be happening a lot lately, majority of which had been sent to her by Mark. Her demons were being sent to her in piles of ash, with a note attached to them. "Love Mark." It was stupidly annoying how often they turned up like that. Although, he was making remarkable progress through her ranks. He was so very close to her generals it wasn't funny. Perhaps he was trying to get her attention, yet again.

She grinned, just as Hades stepped into the room, his head bowed in respect- or was it fear? His pearl-white hair was tied up in a half-pony tail today, the loose tendrils hanging over his shoulders like a cape. His ash-gray skin was was speckled with spots of dust from the cave system leading to the bowels of Hell, home to the River Styx and of the main gate to Tartarus, prison of the Titans.

"Hades," Serenity said, her voice dripping with condescension. He looked up at her, his silver eyes wide like she'd just scolded him like a child. She floated down from her perch and landed in front of him, evil smirk on her face. "Hades, you are covered in dust from your travels below and mopey like someone has drowned your pet Cerberus. What ails you, friend?"

Hades bowed his head again and looked up at the High Queen of Hell from under his bangs.

"My Queen, I cannot find my lady," he said solemnly. She grinned at him.

"Hades, dear Persephone is tending to the crystal garden." The smile on Hades' face grew and he disappeared in a thick cloud of black smoke. Serenity smiled and stepped through it and through the door to her right, the door to the North Tower. Climbing the spiral staircase was an unnecessary chore but she enjoyed the walk; it reminded her of what it was like to be mortal, back in her days when she didn't have the title of High Queen of Hell. Now she didn't really have the time to play such silly games.

Upon reaching the top landing, she pushed open the large wooden doors and stepped into her suite. It was purple in color, most of the palace was in fact, with large drapes that curled their way down the walls, giving it a more homely affect. Doors lined the walls, each leading to a separate room; the kitchen, her bedroom, her bathroom, her personal entrance to the Crystal Garden below and her study. However, the room she was in was her living area. In the center of the room, surrounded by a massive, U-shaped sofa, was her crystal chalice. It was more like a sink, really, except without any faucets, and the water was a soft purple that swirled. She stepped over to it and put her finger to the surface of the water; it instantly stilled under her touch. She lowered her finger in, feeling the cool substance brush over her knuckles and further along as her palm breached the surface. The Dragon tattoo on her arm came to life and curled its tail around her shoulder, as if holding onto her. It's jaws, mighty and strong, dipped into the water, emitting bubbles to the surface.

"Show me Mark Calaway," the Queen ordered. The blood she had taken from Mark on the day he'd made the deal that left him living on stolen time escaped the mouth of her dragon and swirled into the water. Eventually she could see images forming within it; Mark, talking to someone on the beach with his dog. Someone was behind them, a dark figure with even darker intentions. Serenity smiled; this would be fun.

Back on the Beach, Mark scratched at his tracksuit pants, smiling at Emily as she sat beside him on the beach, enjoying the quiet. Zeus was curled up in a ball at his feet, his tail flicking sand back and forth.

"Well," Mark said, hoisting himself up. Zeus was instantly to his feet at his side. "I should probably head home to my kids. It was nice meeting you, Emily." He smiled and waved, turning around, straight into the knife that Conner had hidden.

The serrated edge of the blade dug through Mark's skin and pierced into his stomach. He could feel the blade sliding through, all the way to the hilt. It didn't hurt, but his hypersensitivity to touch made it a very interesting experience. He looked up at Conner, grin on his face. He could vaguely hear Emily in the background, screaming for Conner to leave him alone. The two men stared at each other, never breaking eye contact, as Conner dug the knife in further. Mark grinned wider, grabbing his assailant by the shoulders and, bringing him forward, which drove the knife so far into his gut that it pierced the other side.

"Do it again, it tickles," he said, his eyes turning black. Conner screamed.

It was at this moment that Mark coughed up blood, pain rocketing through him. He doubled over, looking up as a thin wisp floated out of his chest and curled in front of him, evaporating as he convulsed.

In the Amethyst Palace, Serenity removed her hand from the bowl, bringing with it the silvery wisp that she'd removed from Mark. His immortality. It curled around her fingers like a snake, twirling and nipping at the tips of her digits. She smiled and picked up one of the glass bottles near her hips and slipped the wisp into it. It curled a few more times before liquefying. She smirked a cruel smirk, knowing her favorite pet would be with her soon enough.

Hades was just pouring himself and Persephone a cup of lavender tea when they heard it.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"

Persephone almost choked on her tea she was that surprised to hear something like that, from a male voice no less. Hades stood, his great sword materializing in his hand. He was ready to defend his bride from any intruder, like the good husband he was. His back rippled as his deep gray, leathery wings unfolded from his shoulders. He was about to use them and take flight when the massive double doors that lead to the front courtyard were kicked open. Hades began to laugh as his sword disappeared and he retook his place beside Persephone, resting his feet on the seat beside her on the other side. Persephone herself reached over to pat his leg affectionately, turning her head slightly. She smiled at their visitor.

Mark, who had fallen face-first into the throne room, marched over to them.

"Where's the Queen?" he sneered, keeping his voice as level as he could. Hades, however, was not as stupid as Mark took him to be.

"Why do you need to know?"

Mark stared at the ignorant God. "I'm dead, that's why. Dead before my timer expired. Now, she needs to reverse the fucking damage or I'm going to cause some to her pretty little face."

Hades laughed again, only this time he stood. Persephone, sensing her husband's distress, moved in front of him, placing her hands against his chest and trying to hold him back.

"You, mortal, only wish you could inflict damage upon me, let alone the Queen. Serenity is winding down after a long day of forcing you to realize that you will bow. I am a God, and even I kneel before Lady Serenity's power."

"And why is that, exactly? Serenity wasn't originally assigned this post, if my Greek Mythology serves me, you were. So what makes her stronger than you?"

"Lady Serenity is no mere God," Persephone whispered, her voice soft as she kept pushing against Hades, trying to get him to calm down. She obviously knew where this line of questioning would lead; Hades had a short temper and when his fuse was lit, there was no telling how long it would take for him to explode.

"Then what is she?"

Hades growled, his temper bubbling over. His wings, now at their full span, whipped to the side and smacked into Mark, throwing him clean across the Garden. He smashed against a tree, shattering it like thin panes of glass. Persephone yelped as Hades took flight, his chest armor melting away to reveal his chiseled chest and abdomen below. Mark crawled back to his feet, spitting blood on the way up, only to be slammed into a wall as Hades' shoulder dug into his stomach. He was brought up into the air and dropped, landing face first through the outdoor setting Persephone and Hades had been sitting at.

This was going to hurt.


	9. Chapter Eight: The Queen's Bargain (2)

Chapter Eight: The Queen's Bargain (Part 2)

 _Caina, Bottom Level of the Underworld- October 15th, 1997_

This beating went on for what felt like hours. The blood started to pour from Mark in waves as Hades drove his dagger through him, using his flesh as his own personal pin-cushion. But Mark, realizing that down here he couldn't die again, kept fighting back. Hades' face, now dotted with blood and bruises, was an evil twist of rage and hate, he didn't even look like himself anymore. Persephone had run inside, to keep herself safe from her lover and his opponent.

Mark, having never taken this much punishment before, was about to give up as he was thrown through the big, oak doors and back into the throne room. He skidded to a stop at someone's feet. Bells and chains were draped daintily around their ankles while their actual feet were adorned with black ballet flats. Mark knew exactly who that was.

Hades flew in from outside and landed not too far away from Mark, dripping blood onto the ground. He laughed as his wings folded back in, his chest plate materializing again.

"You thought you could face me and win? You are by far the most cockeyed mortal I have ever met," he sneered, grinning as he crossed his arms over his chest. Mark spat blood, glaring at Hades, but turning his head to look upwards.

Serenity was standing behind him, staring at Hades like he'd just hand-delivered her a basket of rotting fruit. She was pissed; Mark could tell by the dark veins running through her face that she was beyond annoyed. Her hair whipped around her face with a fierce flick, like the wind was picking up. She wore a pair of black yoga pants and a purple sports bra, cropped to show off her toned stomach. A scar that he never noticed trailed down her stomach diagonally, crossing through her naval and flowing underneath the waistband of her pants. It looked like her stomach had been ripped open, and the scar was what was left of her healing.

Mark hauled himself to his knees as Serenity's rage exploded. She began levitating above a tiny tornado that swirled dangerously at her feet.

"How DARE you touch him, Hades!?" she bellowed, her voice cracking like lightening. Persephone, who had been standing beside Serenity at the time of her rage, stepped to the side and helped Mark the rest of the way to his feet.

Hades' skin paled, as if someone had drained the color from his face. He dropped to a knee and bowed before the vengeful Queen.

"My Queen, I would nev-"

"SILENCE!" Serenity screamed, using her powers to lift Hades off his feet. A gold chain appeared near Hades' head, coiled and sending angry sparks in every direction. Like lightening, it curled itself around Hades' neck and tightened, drawing all air from his lungs. The paled skin around his neck started to turn red and blistery as the heat of the chain grew more intense as the seconds ticked by. "I warned you, Hades, time and time again I have warned you. You will not touch him, or anyone who bares my mark. They are not your toys, they are not your punching bags."

"My Lady, please. I was just trying to-" Hades chocked out, pulling at the chain. It didn't seem to do any good; the chain clung tighter to his throat with each tug. His face now held a blue tinge, Mark could see the area around his eyes turning purple. He tried not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked.

"He is not yours to punish, you vile little cretin. Now begone before I feed you to your overgrown hairball."

The chain around Hades' neck vanished in a puff of golden smoke, dropping the disheveled God to his knees, spluttering and cursing his Queen's name. It was soft enough to only be a whisper, but Serenity still picked it up, using her powers to levitate Hades off the ground and fling him against the crystal walls. Mark could hear Hades' bones cracking and breaking under the pressure and force from Serenity as she kept pushing, holding him in place. He screamed as his tendons pulled, bursting with the Queen's strength. With a turn of her head in Mark's direction, Hades was ripped apart, his limbs and innards being strewn around the throne room like a pinata exploding with confetti.

Mark stared at the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment, his eyes wide with shock. He had never seen her rage this explosive before. He'd seen her ticked before, sure, but never had he seen her angry, something he was definitely thankful for now. He could see fire in her eyes, swirling like the lava that filled the pits below the palace. Her knee-length, ebony hair flicked viciously, snapping at the air around her. He watched as she took a deep breath, her eyes closing and her shoulders rising. When her shoulders fell and her eyes open, she had calmed down; her eyes were back to that beautiful silver and her hair curled itself into a thick braid, hanging down to just below her knees. She turned back to face the spot Hades had once occupied, observing the look of pure horror on Persephone's face.

The usually-balanced Goddess had dropped her jaw open and her eyes had widened, revealing to Mark that she'd never seen that happen before.

Before their eyes, the blood that had exploded around the room when Hades had popped like a balloon started to move back towards where he had been standing, drawn by an unseen force. His limbs and innards began to do the same thing and before Mark could say what the fuck, Hades popped back into existence, coughing and spluttering. He fell back against the walls, heaving a sigh of relief to be back. Persephone ran to his side, throwing her arms around him.

"Leave them," Serenity finally said, offering her hand to Mark. He took it and she dragged him towards a set of doors on the other side of the throne room.

Mark didn't have a chance to get a good look at them, but little faces appeared to be etched into them. As the doors shut behind them, darkness consumed the pair as Serenity dragged him up what seemed to be a spiral staircase. When they were at the top, Serenity pushed open another set of doors to reveal her suite. It was the same nauseating color of purple as below, except now it had human pleasures, such as a large, u-shaped leather sofa. A bar was by the wall, stretching from one side of the room to the other. The walls had framed pictures all over them, some Greek, some Chinese, and even a few Egyptian. He spotted Iris and Osiris, the two Egyptian gods, in a loving embrace beside a picture of Anubis. Five doors lined the wall, all leading into different rooms he figured.

Serenity shoved him onto the sofa, stepping over to the basin that was in the center of the room. She leaned her weight against it and smiled at him, tucking a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.

"So, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure, my dear friend?" she asked, her smile showing she knew exactly why he was here. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Mark smirked up at her.

"Someone decided to play master thief and steal my Immortality away from me. Everything else is still there," he said, summoning a black fireball to his hand to prove a point. Serenity snorted laughter in return.

"I can assure you that it was no one in my service."

"Oh, I know exactly who did it." He grinned and stood up, walking to her and boxing her in, putting his arms on the table that was home to the crystal chalice. She had no where to go. "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"My favorite kind of fool." Mark raised an eyebrow in response to that. Serenity smiled, curling her arms around his neck. "The educated kind."

"I'm street-smart, not book-smart, Ren."

Serenity's brow furrowed at that.

"Wren, as in the tiny bird?"

Mark raised an eyebrow, smiling as the realization dawned on him; she had no idea what a nickname was. He laughed, shaking his head.

"It's a nickname. Like a unique identifier."

Serenity smiled, uncurling her arms from around his neck and slipped underneath his arms.

"What are your nicknames?" she said, sitting down on the sofa and removing her ballet flats, dropping them gently to the floor. Mark sat down on the sofa beside her and grinned at her.

"Well, I have two. One nickname I got from you, the other I got from work."

"The only name I call you is Markus," she said with a giggle. "As it is your name."

"Actually," Mark said, grinning because the all-knowing Goddess had gotten something wrong. "My full name is Mark William Calaway. No U-S added to the end. A lot of people get that wrong though." Not really, it was best to make the powerful entity beside him think she wasn't the first to get it wrong though, lest he be separated from his limbs.

Serenity smiled, appreciating the sentiment. She tapped the tip of his nose lightly. "What's the name you got from work?"

Mark smiled, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"Deadman."

Serenity blinked for a moment before she burst into a fit of giggles. She laughed so much she eventually fell to the floor, holding her sides so they wouldn't split apart. He smiled down at her. She had such a musical laugh, like wind chimes in a summer breeze. It made Mark think of Jodi and how many of the damn bells-on-strings she had around the house. Sara had them too, but not as many. Mark only had one wind chime and it hung from the balcony that lead into his bedroom. The bells on Serenity's feet jingled as she pounded her feet against the plush carpet. He grinned down at her, taking her hand as she flung it into the air. He pulled her back onto the sofa, letting her legs drape over his lap.

"That is incredibly ironic," she said, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Oh, I haven't laughed like that in centuries."

"Being Queen of Hell seems like it's a pretty serious job."

Serenity nodded, waving her hand. Her braid unraveled and retied itself, hanging over her shoulder. She then looked at him, her eyes serious once again.

"That would be High Queen. Persephone is Queen."

Mark raised an eyebrow as she stood up, heading over towards a cabinet that stood beside the bar. Inside the mahogany and glass case were viles, bottles and boxes of different colored liquids. She picked one from the shelf and closed the door.

"For making me laugh as much as you did, I will return what was taken."

 _There's gotta be a catch,_ Mark thought, scratching his beard. _If it were that easy I would have done that instead of selling my soul._

"You mean what you stole. I'm not as stupid as Hades thinks I am, you know."

Serenity smirked. "Indeed. It is one of the reasons I find you so fascinating." She walked over and sat down beside him, holding the vile up for him to see. It contained a milky substance, almost completely dense. She released the vile from her fingers and it levitated a few inches from the palm of her hand. He went to take it from her but she snatched it away again. "There is another condition to this particular deal."

"Thought as much; what do I have to do?"

"Make love to me."

Mark bawked, feeling his jaw drop open. That was not something he'd hear from the darkest of the Gods he'd met. She could have literally any person alive or dead as her consort, and she wanted him? Why? He could see in her eyes that she was as serious as a heart attack. She hadn't broken eye contact with him since she'd said it, and she was as still as a statue.

"How far down the rabbit hole have I fallen for that to come out of your mouth?" He said, not intending for that to sound insulting.

Serenity just smirked. "No rabbit hole involved, Markus. You make love to me, just once, and I will return you to the beach or wherever your body is located. I lead a lonely life, Markus. My long-time companion is no longer with me, and hasn't been for centuries. Please, make love to me."

Mark blinked. "I see one downfall with this agreement. I get super herpes from a Goddess."

Serenity scowled. "Gods are immune to human disease." She raised her leg, which had been resting on his lap, and forced the ball of her foot into his throat. "Do this for me, and do it well, and I will return you to your world, exactly where you left it, Immortality restored."

Mark felt himself nodding. What could be the harm? He wasn't exactly bad at making love, he'd had no complaints thus far, from any of the people he'd slept with, men or women. Why not?

To prove he was on board with the idea, he scooped Serenity into his arms Bridal style and carried her to the door she pointed to; her bedroom. He kicked the double doors open and wandered in, dropping the petite Goddess onto the soft red sheets on her four poster bed. He had a quick glance around the room before Serenity pulled him into her chest.

The walls and carpet were red, as apposed to the rest of the palace, and there were tapestries everywhere. She had mostly mahogany furniture, a chest of drawers, comfy looking sofas and a large balcony. He could see the tips of the tallest trees in the Crystal Garden below, shining brightly under the fires that burned on the roof. If Mark was still attached to his body and his soul was in tact, he might feel how hot it was below, but he was dead. He couldn't feel the heat, or the cold, or the pain Hades had put him through below, which despite everything, was a massive plus.

He was about to look at the gaps in the wall behind the bookcase when Serenity's lips crushed against his, drawing him closer and closer to the Goddess. Her nails, long and pointed, dug into his shoulder as he leaned down, pressing her in against the silk pillows. He could feel her writing something in his back, the blood dripping down his spine and across his ribs, staining the sheets beneath them.

He smirked when he realized exactly what she'd written, succumbing to the Goddess' wild desires.

 _Serenity's Bitch._


	10. Chapter Nine: The Father's Lament

Chapter Nine: The Father's Lament

 _Caina, Bottom Level of the Underworld- October 15th, 1997_

After just over three hours of experimenting with every single position in the Kamasutra, Mark was sitting on the edge of the bed, admiring the scars that were now running up and down his arms and back. Serenity was curled up under her blankets, grazing her blood-tipped nails against his bare leg. Their clothes had been disintegrated a long time ago, and now Serenity was admiring the line-art on Mark's back.

"You got me good, Ren," he said, reaching around to feel the scars on his lower back. He could see her smirking at him over his shoulder so he decided to pounce her, tickling her ribs as he snuggled into the bed beside her. She giggled and rolled over to wrap her arms around his waist. "What you did with those tentacles was awesome. Man, if I knew fucking a Goddess was that damn awesome I would have fucked you years ago."

"Oh really?" she said, leaning up onto an elbow, raising an eyebrow at him. "Have I raised the bar?"

"Exponentially. I swear no other person I sleep with, even my girlfriend, will make me blow as hard as you did."

"Well," Serenity stated, sitting up properly and climbing up from the bed. Mark watched her go. She headed towards the book case and pulled out a little blue book. On the cover was Mark's symbol, the one WWF had made up for him after he'd been buried alive in a match a few years ago. It was a 'T' with two points at the bottom that pointed upwards, kind of an homage to the 'nail in the coffin' phrase, as that's what it looked like. "This used to have your name on it, but now it has your logo on it. I very much like it."

Mark smirked at her.

"Of course you do. What's in the book?"

"This is your Life Journal. From the day we first came to our arrangement, all the way until I retrieve your soul, it writes itself. It's so I can read the history of my dealings again."

"Cool."

Serenity smiled and waved her hand over the book. It glowed a royal blue before fading back to normal. Mark's eyebrow rose further.

"I had to restart it. As soon as your soul entered Caina, the book stopped and wrote it's ending." She placed it back on the shelf, sliding it in place next to a red one. Mark sat up and pulled the blanket over his naked form, eyeing the Goddess as she put her fingers on the top shelf. The bookcase slid back into the wall and shifted to the side, revealing a hidden staircase. "Stay right there," Serenity said, holding up a hand to stop him from following her. He smirked as she wandered down the stairs, eyeing the décor of the room a little closely.

Beside the bed were two wrought iron side tables with thick glass plates on top. Two lamps sat on them, dimmed to a dull red. It was enough for him to see with though. He could see three doors, not including the hidden passage way. One was slightly ajar, and Mark could see a red scarf on the floor. He figured it was her closet, which made sense. Of course the High Queen of the Underworld would have a walk-in closet and her own en-suite bathroom right next to it. The third door, a pair of double doors with glass paneling, led out to the balcony. It had begun to snow a little bit, soft flakes falling from the roof. Mark walked out onto the balcony and looked up, wondering where the snow was coming from and how exactly it didn't melt. He looked down and spotted Hades and Persephone in the garden, ice-skating. He tilted his head and watched them, holding up the sheet that he'd wrapped around his waist.

Persephone was giggling as Hades twirled her around on the ice, her lovely green gown she'd been wearing before cut short. It now looked like an earth-themed tutu, with a sleeveless top to boot. She looked like a ballerina, her hair catching snowflakes like a tiara. She looked very beautiful. When the snow touched Hades head, it blended in with his white hair and faded out against his chest plate. How he could wear that all day every day was beyond Mark. He was about to catch some of the snow in his hands and throw it at Hades when he felt someone's hand on his back. He turned to find Serenity, who had returned with a large hour glass with red sand in it, still falling. His symbol was on the side again, only it was silver this time, not black. Serenity had turned the sheets that had been wrapped around her into a dress that draped over her dainty body and flowed along the carpet like the train of a wedding dress.

"I told you to stay put," she said with a grin. He grinned right back at her.

"I never do as I'm told, Ren," he replied with a wink.

Serenity put the hour glass on the little table behind her and placed her hand on the top of it. More red sand began to fall underneath it, adding to the sand already in there. He raised an eyebrow and watched it fall.

"For doing what you did so well, I've restarted your timer and added ten years to it," the High Queen said, pulling her hand away from the hourglass.

Mark froze in place. That gave him another thirteen in total. His kids would be long grown by then, he'd be fifty and ready to retire from professional wrestling, quietly fading into the background while younger stars took his place. He'd be ready to pay the price by then. He let out an audible sigh and dropped his head to meet the coldness of the railing in front of him. Serenity's tone instantly dropped as she stepped up beside him.

"What ails you?"

"Nothing," he said, leaning up to look at her. "You have no idea what this means to me. I can try and rekindle my relationship with my brother, I can raise my kids properly. Sara and I can live a life worth what we've put into it so far."

Serenity's eyes instantly narrowed at the mention of Sara.

"Is she your new wife?"

"New girlfriend, who one day I hope to make my wife. Why?"

Serenity's eyes narrowed further as she turned away, her shoulders beginning to shake. He hadn't noticed before, but the vile containing his immortality was in her hand, held only by the tips of her fingers. Any sudden movement from her hand and she would drop it, letting it shatter against the crystal they stood on. He was about to take it from her to put down beside the hour glass when she brought it up to her face, kissing it softly. A single tear slipped from her eye before she turned around, the fire back in her eyes, that blazing inferno that would put the fires below them to shame.

"You got what you wanted, and so did I."

Before Mark could say or do anything in response, Serenity slammed the vile against his chest, hard enough to split the delicate glass into a thousand pieces. The milky white substance floated into the air, curled twice, then zipped towards Mark, splattering against his exposed chest. Where it had landed left a burning feeling and Mark had to step back and clutch at his chest. He could feel pain again. He could feel his immortality clutching to his cells and the very thing that bound him together; his soul. It burrowed deep, deep enough that he dropped to his knees and moaned, feeling the burn run all throughout his system, weaving its way through him like a virus.

When the burning stopped, he gasped for air and looked up at Serenity. Her hair was flicking viciously again, like someone had turned on an industrial strength fan, and she was in full combat gear. The onyx stone tiara was back on her head and her hair was up in an intricate bun. She wore a skin-tight red cat-suit, covered in various pieces of armor. She wore heavy combat boots, steel wrist gauntlets and a leather chest plate. Across her shoulders were steel shoulder pads and on her wrist were leather biker gloves. She looked bad ass, and like she could kick him from Heaven all the way down to Hell. She did not look happy at all; she looked angry enough to take on all the Gods in Olympus and win.

"In thirteen years, Markus, I will be ripping your soul from your worthless carcass. Enjoy what little time you have left with your family." She spat the word family with so much venom he wondered if the softness he'd seen in her before was real, or just his mind playing tricks with him after the wave of euphoria.

She reached down and ripped him to his feet by his throat, hoisting him in the air with all her strength. The air began to disappear from his lungs and he realized she was trying to hurt him, so he'd never forget that she could pull him apart limb by limb. He grasped at her arm, trying with all he had to pull it away, to no avail. In fact, her grip tightened, enough to the point it was cutting circulation off to his brain. He could feel his muscles tightening as they screamed at him for oxygen. The edges of his vision began to blur, but he could still see Serenity staring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he'd be buried under the palace or used as her own personal fertilizer.

"This..." he gasped, taking in as deep a breath as he could. "This... is far... from... over..."

Serenity smirked, bringing his head closer. His eyes lolled away from her briefly, before focusing back on the pissed off Queen yet again.

"You and I, Markus, will always be unfinished business."

Before Mark could respond, she wrenched back and flung him over the railing into the Crystal Garden below like a rag doll.

But he never hit the ground.

~X~

Darkness was all Mark could see. He could feel something grainy underneath him, like gravel but a little bit softer. Sand? He could hear waves crashing against rocks a little bit in front of him. Was he at the beach? He didn't remember being at the beach. Something dripped down his side, sticky and warm. He could feel the breeze brushing over his face. It smelled of salt. Where the hell was he?

Then it hit him like a brick to the face.

He was at Crystal Cove where he'd rescued Emily. He opened his eyes and saw Emily's hazel eyes staring down at him, and the big black nose of Zeus. It was then that he realized he wasn't breathing so he took a deep breath, scaring Emily so much she dived behind a rock to get away from him. She had blood on her hands, his blood. Zeus sat down and licked his face, knowing his master was okay. Mark ran a set of fingers through his hair and looked around. Yep, he was in Crystal Cove alright, and it was exactly as he left it. In fact, the moon was in the exact position it had been in when he'd dropped.

 _I guess she wasn't lying when she said she'd send me back exactly where she left me, time wise too,_ he thought, spying Emily poking her head out from over the rock. He smiled at her, rubbing his stomach where he'd been stabbed. He'd already healed, the wound closing over as he'd looked around. He looked back at Emily.

"Thanks for not running off when that happened," he said calmly. She nodded her head, fear in her eyes. Mark stood, dusting off the back of his legs. Sand fell back to the beach in clumps, refilling the hole he'd made. He scuffed his feet against the ground, getting rid of the blood.

 _Wipe her memory,_ Serenity's voice drawled in his head, still obviously pissed off at him. For what he didn't know, but he kept listening. _If anyone finds out about what she saw tonight, our deal is null and void. Fix it, or I will fix you._

Nodding, he heard Emily whimper before she took off down the beach and he took off after her, grabbing a hold of her wrist. Pouring his magic into his eyes, he forced eye contact with her, holding her face so she was looking at him.

"You ran into me on the beach. You asked for directions back to your hotel. I gave you the exact directions you needed. Now you're ready to go home."

He let go of Emily's face and stepped back, making sure to keep a safe distance between them. The blood that had been spread over her hands, presumably from her trying to put pressure on his wound. Her eyes, still fuzzy from her mind being toyed with, blinked several times before her focus cleared. She smiled brightly.

"Did you get all that?" he asked, his tone soft again. "You kind of zoned out on me for a second there."

"Sorry, beach brain. Head back up the beach and back towards town. It should be the second turn on the right."

"That's it. I would walk you home but I have a family to get back to. Good luck," Mark said, slapping his thigh. Zeus came wandering up to his side, nuzzling his thigh. Mark smiled when Emily bent down to pat his loyal pooch. She smiled and waved as she got up and took off down the beach, a little bit of a skip in her step.

Mark looked down at Zeus and noticed the accusatory look in his dog's eyes. He smirked.

"Don't give me that look, you dopey dog. I had to. No one can know my secret."

Zeus barked once and followed Mark up the stairs, in the direction of the Heights, heading back the way they'd come.

~X~

Mark was so tired and sore when he got inside that he collapsed in the hallway leading into the living room. Sara, who had been saying her Goodnight Prayer, came running to his side when she spotted him. She helped him to his feet and kissed him hard, knowing something was wrong.

"I'm fine, baby," he said, patting the back of her head as she checked him over for bruises. "I think I pushed myself a little hard."

Sara smirked at him and slapped him on the chest playfully. He grinned at her. "You seriously don't need to push yourself as hard as you do, Mark."

"I know," he replied, following her up the marble staircase. There were six door ways in the corridor, three on each side, with a bay-window at the end that over-looked Crystal Cove. Curled up on the sofa, with a book open on her lap and a pen hanging from her fingers, was April, asleep with the moonlight causing her face to glow. Her brow was furrowed down like she was angry, and she was snoring softly. He smiled, kissing Sara on the forehead. "I'll be with you in a second, baby. Let me put the chief minion to bed first."

Sara nodded and walked the rest of the way down the hall to where the Master Bedroom was and blew a kiss in her would-be step-daughter's direction. April, as if subconsciously knowing someone had acknowledged her existence, let the pen drop to the floor and turned over, curling further into the cushions surrounding her. Sara giggled once and turned back to her lover. He winked and mouthed 'two minutes' before nudging his head towards the bedroom. She smiled and left, giving him a wink as she went.

Mark walked down the hallway and leaned down next to April, replacing the ribbon in what he knew was her song journal before putting it between his teeth, scooping his oldest daughter into his arms. She had grown to be almost six feet tall, with long black hair. A single blue streak lined her fringe for Hailie, the daughter she'd lost. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she'd grown into a very bright, very independent young woman, one Mark was proud to call his daughter.

As he stood up, arching his neck down so he didn't drop the book right on her stomach but instead placing it, she curled her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him.

"Daddy," she whispered, her voice soft and vulnerable. He wondered if she was still asleep because she never consciously called him Daddy anymore; it was always Father or Dad. Daddy had disappeared when her mother had passed away. He paused; was she actually awake? Her eyes stayed closed, her breathing still deep and relaxed. She was out like a light.

"I'm here, Apple," he whispered back, using her old nickname. As a toddler, when she was still learning to speak, she wasn't able to say April; it had always come out as Apple. And she was the apple of his eye, so the nickname had stuck, although these days she was known as Angel. He smiled, kissing her forehead. "I'll always be here."

When he entered the middle room, he placed April down gently on her bed, pulling the covers over her to make sure she didn't get too cold, and placing her journal and pen on the desk across the room. He watched her chest rise and fall as she slept, probably dreaming beautiful dreams of things past. He pondered going into her dreams, as he had before, but tonight he decided against it. Let her keep her dreams to herself; whatever was floating around in her head right now were none of his business. He looked up at the picture board above her bed and smiled, seeing pictures of her with her siblings and friends. In a trio of pictures taken at a photo booth he could see pictures of her and her new boyfriend. In the first picture she and Chris were making silly faces, the second was of Chris holding his fingers in a circular formation, over April's eyes as she stared shocked at the camera, Chris's head poking out from behind hers.

The third and last image was the sweetest one of all; April had her arms around Chris's neck and they were bumping foreheads, both with their eyes closed, both facing down. For the first time in a very long time, she was happy, and he could finally see it in her eyes. They'd moved around so much; after Jodi had died, once a month or so, Mark picked them up and took them to a random city to live, until their next move, when his children would have to say goodbye to everything they loved. Friends, sometimes family, school, work, even love; all were left behind to fuel Mark's depression. It was no life to live, and especially not one to force upon children. He hadn't been that surprised when April had run off to Chicago to try and fix her life; it's what he did. He remembered something he'd said to Anna after her boyfriend, Scott, had left. Though after his return the argument was never heard again, she'd asked for new people. ' _Unfortunately, honey pie, new people are only new for a day. After that, they're just people. Who'll excite you, disappoint you, scare you a little bit. And boy do I know how tempting it is to run away when that happens. It's good for avoiding things. But the problem is that you end up avoiding yourself. Avoiding people you love. You end up avoiding life. So I've decided to start setting an example for you guys. I'm going to try show you what sticking it out looks like. Really get to know people. And let people get to know us. I don't promise to be any good at it, but I will try. Because I want you and Gunner to be better at this than I am. I want you to learn how to let people in.'_ April needed to let people in too, and being with Chris was a good start. She could learn to open her heart to someone new, instead of closing it off to everyone except her family, something he had been unable to teach her, seeing as his heart was clouded with absolute darkness.

As he shut the door behind him, letting his oldest child sleep, Mark turned to face Anna's room, to the left of April's. She would be curled up asleep with Scott, who had been at their house every day for the last two weeks. Mark didn't mind; it was good to have another male around the house. Now that April was back and Sara had moved in, Mark and Gun were outnumbered. Scott evened the odds. Mark opened the door and smiled, spying Anna curled up on her darling's chest. Scott, with his boofy, blond curls, had his arm curled around her, as if to protect her from all the evils in the world. Mark watched her as she curled tighter, pulling herself closer. Scott held her tighter, leaning his head to rest against hers. He saw the very corners of her mouth twitch into a smile. He could tell that Anna was happy, too. There was a skip back in her step that he hadn't seen from her in a long time, and her knowledge of the world ran much deeper than she knew. Her intuition was always perfect, and her love of everything natural added a sparkle to her eye, especially when she was at the beach or in the woods. Something she'd inherited from her mother, not from him. He was dark, and destruction seemed to follow him every where he went. Soon enough, whether by his own doing or the forces of chaos, his life would fall apart again. He knew it was coming.

Mark closed the door to Anna's room and walked the rest of the way up the hallway to his son's room. Opening the door, he spotted Gunner, half on his bed, half off, with one arm curled around Cassie, his girlfriend and mother to his child. Carter, their son, was curled up in his bassinet, his arms curled tightly around his teddy bear. His first born grand-son. Mark watched the littlest and newest member of his family sleep. He had flaming red hair, just like his father and grand-father, and dimples in his cheeks, just like Cassie, a perfect blend of both of his parents. If Carter was lucky, he would have a perfect life, one free of complications. But Mark knew his family wasn't that lucky. They'd inherited his bad luck, and everything that came along with it. He'd vowed, the day each of his children were born, that he wouldn't allow them to make the same mistakes he did, let alone his worst mistake.

He left Gun and the rest of his family alone, closing the door and heading for the bay window, staring out at the darkness. The moonlight glinted on the sea, the stars sparkling bright. The closest star to the moon, which he knew was Venus, but liked to pretend was Jodi, was dim tonight. It was normally the brightest and most dominant star in the sky. He saw that as a sign. He'd fucked up again. He was living his life on even more borrowed time. He laughed; no, not borrowed time. Stolen time. Time he'd stolen from an all-powerful and equally pissed off Goddess. He deserved to burn in hell for everything he did. The fire, Glenn, selling his soul to the she-devil. Everything. And he would. Eventually he would feel her vengeance and suffer. But until then, he would try and make life just that tiny bit better.

For everyone.


	11. Chapter Ten: The Passing of the Torch

Chapter Ten: The Passing of the Torch

 _Austin, Texas- September 19th, 2007_

Years passed. Mark hadn't heard Serenity's voice in his head since the night she'd brought him back, almost ten years before hand, which was nice. His relationship blossomed and fell apart, like a rose in winter. He and Sara had been married not long after he'd been resurrected, and had added two more little girls to their family. Gracie and Chasey, his youngest and most obnoxiously cute children yet. He also had three grandchildren now; Carter, Gunner and Cassie's son, Hailie, April's daughter who had surprised everyone by actually being alive when April had told her family that she'd miscarried, and Elaina, Anna and Scott's daughter. His family was rather extensive now, and he was letting his life effect theirs. Anna and Scott's marriage had broken down, though they were on the mend now, April was a divorcee with a chip on her shoulder and Gunner was smoking more pot than a hooker on pay day. So here he was, in some dive of a bar in his hometown, a glass of whiskey in one hand and his face flat against the bar top.

The sad part was, he couldn't even get drunk anymore. Whatever damage he did to his stomach and liver with how much liquor he consumed was null and void when his rapid-healing came into play. The affect didn't last long enough to enjoy either, as his body expelled the toxins in his body as soon as they were absorbed. So when he tried to drink to forget, he managed to remember even more things that hurt, like the fact Sara had asked for a divorce and full custody of the girls. The divorce he understood; Mark was more self-destructive than a typhoon right now and he wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around. Even his co-workers avoided him these days, whispering to each other that he was turning into a grumpy grandpa who would shake his cane at anyone who even bothered to look at him when he walked past. The custody battle he also understood, to a lesser extent; he was on the road three hundred days a year, putting his body through hell just to entertain millions of people around the world. He barely had time to make himself some toast or play with his dogs, let alone look after his daughters, so he let her have them, as long as he could visit while he was in Texas, which she thankfully had agreed to.

Beside him were the divorce papers, finalized and ready to be returned to the courthouse to be put through the system. It would have been a lot harder if Mark had made it that way, but the fight wasn't worth it because he knew he was going to lose. So he let it go, realizing his battle wasn't with Sara anymore, or Serenity for that matter. It was with himself.

The bartender came over and placed down another glass of whiskey, probably knowing exactly how Mark was feeling right now. Mark downed the glass in his hand and put it on the bar top, hearing a clicking noise from behind him. He turned his head, just in time to see Sara walk in, Gracie held at her hip, being only two, and Chasey holding her mother's hand, her five-year-old eyes looking around the bar, curious. When she spotted Mark, she ran over to him and into his outstretched arms, happy to see her father after so long. He held her close and kissed her forehead, smiling. He was happy to see her, considering he probably wouldn't for a long time after this.

"Figured I'd find you in here," Sara said, walking over to them. She had a scowl on her face, as if she expected Mark to be face-first in a pile of cocaine. He scowled right back.

"Taking the edge off before I head over to the hospital," he retorted, malice in his voice. He didn't want to start a fight with Sara in front of their kids, he refused to do so.

Sara seemed to take the hint because she tapped the stack of paper beside Mark.

"Are they signed?"

"Signed, sealed and drowned in my blood, which seems to be what you want."

"Mark..."

"I know." He did know exactly what she was talking about. He was instigating the fight this time, and he refused to leave that image on his kid's brains. They had endured enough of their fighting over the last year, so much so that he really didn't want to expose them to more. He stood from the bar and downed his last glass of whiskey in one shot, leaving a fifty dollar note on the bar. He waved to the bartender, indicating he wanted him to keep the change, and bent down to hug his daughter properly.

"Daddy, do you have to go?" Chasey said, curling her arms tight around his neck. He felt a knot build in his throat from that question. He swallowed it back down and gently pulled his daughter away so he could look her in the eyes. Her big green eyes stared back at him, innocent and vulnerable. He smiled softly and kissed her forehead.

"I don't want to, Chase, I want you to know that. But I have to go, otherwise Sissy April will never forgive her dear, old Dad."

"I don't think she will in general," Sara whispered, loud enough for him to hear but not Chasey. He looked up at her and scowled. _Not here, Mark. It isn't the time or place to set your ex wife's head on fire._ He stood, letting Chasey go.

"Are you going to let me hold my youngest or do I have to pry her from you?"

Sara rolled her eyes, handing Gracie over to her father. She reached for him, balling up a wad of his hair in her tiny fist, kissing his cheek. He smiled and kissed her forehead, holding her close.

"Daddy loves you, little-one," he whispered. She grinned at him.

"Love daddy!" she cheered, pinching his cheeks and pulling him in. She smothered kisses all over his face, her way of saying I Love You. He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose, smirking at the giggle that came out of her.

Reluctantly handing his daughter back over to her mother, he kissed Gracie and Chasey one last time and waved goodbye, heading outside into the crisp autumn air.

Mark strode along the sidewalk towards the hospital. Taking his truck would have been faster, but he needed to feel the thud of his boots on the concrete and hope the air would cool his temper. So far it grew with the pace of his walk. Why did Sara have to start a fight in front of his daughters? It was bad enough she'd started an argument in public, but in front of them was uncalled for. If he hadn't sold his soul all those years ago, he probably wouldn't be having this problem, but that opened a can of worms he was not ready to open again. He'd never gotten the chance to ask Serenity what would happen if his mortality was restored, and maybe that was a good thing. She had given him so much whiplash that night he was lucky to have gotten out of there with just a stab wound and not a broken neck.

By the end of his walk, he was on the second floor of the hospital, walking out of the elevator and heading towards Xander's room. Xander was April's boyfriend of two years, and Mark didn't like him at all. He'd had to accept Xander in his daughter's life though, despite his past of kidnapping and rape. Mark felt it in his bones that some day Xander would slip from his 'road to redemption' and hurt her, probably enough to cripple her for life. But for now, he was on his best behavior, showing Mark his good side.

Mark smirked as he turned the corner; he wasn't an expert in reading people, and he refused to use his telepathy on people anymore, lest he read something they didn't want to share. He understood privacy and secrets better than anybody, as he kept his deepest, darkest secret hidden from everyone. So if Xander really was showing his best side to just Mark and leaving everyone else in the midst of an intense game of Guess My Nature, the Deadman had no idea. He decided to let the chips fall where they may, letting the world play out as it did. He chose not to get involved anymore.

He stopped just before Xander's room and felt himself grow cold. April, Anna, Scott and Gunner were there, along with Lara, Elaina and Xander's daughter, Jodi, but someone else was with them. She stood at six foot two, the same height as his children, with long black hair, its under growth dyed white. She had green eyes, freckles and a set of full red lips. She looked identical to April and Anna, though Anna's dyed-red hair made her stand apart from her sister.

Mark swallowed back his pride as he saw the look April gave him when she spotted him. If looks could kill, he'd me pushing up daisies. Her eyes narrowed as she scowled at him from down the hall. The newcomer turned and smiled politely, watching as April stepped up to her father. He prepared himself for what was coming, either a slap in the face or a punch in the stomach, probably both, depending on April's temper. As it turned out, he was right. She punched him in the stomach and slapped him across the face, letting him drop to his knees at her feet. He growled, not at her but at himself. He'd been lying to himself for years. Worst of all, he'd been lying to his kids.

Jodi hadn't had April, Anna and Gunner the day she'd given birth. she'd had Abbigail as well.

But was it lying if he didn't know the truth?

"Liar!" April shouted, shoving her father onto his backside. He looked up at her and watched her temper flare. She was way too much like Serenity when she was angry, and they hadn't even met each other.

"I didn't-" he started, only to be shut down when April slapped him again.

"You told me a long time ago that Abbi died," she seethed, glaring daggers at her father. He looked up at her, seeing the rage burning in her eyes. Scott had come up beside her and was holding her arm, as if to stop her from attacking him again. He smiled sympathetically at his would-be father in law as he climbed to his feet. "Yet here, she is, Dad. Why didn't you tell us? Why did you lie to us?"

Mark ran a set of fingers through his hair and tried to find the words. How to explain this to someone who was a ball of rage?

"I didn't know, alright? I had no idea." He looked down the hall to Abbi, who was smiling softly at him. He smiled in return. "Welcome to the family, Abbi."

"Happy to finally be here, Dad," she said, her southern drawl coming through loud and clear. She must have grown up in Texas, around people who had the deep accent, instead of his family, who had moved around so much that their accents were scattered. Mark was the only one who'd retained even a hint of his southern drawl, as he'd left Texas in 1987, two years after Jodi had died.

He was about to hug his long lost child when April stepped in front of him, blocking him from walking towards the rest of their family.

"How could you not have known?"

"I left the hospital when we found out Abbi was a still born, so did your mother and you three. If we were ever told at all, I have no memory of it, okay? Now can I please hug your sister?"

April growled, stepping away and towards Abbi, gently touching her arm. Where April's fingers had been left a gold tinge, four perfect prints. Abbi seemed to notice as she turned towards her sister, who stood beside Anna with her arms curled tightly around herself. She then looked back at Mark who shrugged, not knowing what was going on.

"Miss Calaway?"

April turned at the sound of the doctor behind them. She was a tall, dark-skinned woman, her hair tied up in a tight bun. Doctor Andrews was her name, and she was a specialist in the cancer ward of the hospital.

"Yes?" April answered, her voice wavering. Doctor Andrews smiled and pulled her aside, speaking to her low enough that no one else could hear. Mark couldn't help himself though, he listened in; knowing he could hear the conversation from all the way down the hall.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do to help Mister Levesque. His right lung is on the verge of collapsing."

"Can't you do something, a transplant or some kind of surgery."

"I'm sorry, Miss Calaway, but no. He's too far in to be helped. I would say your goodbyes now."

As Doctor Andrews walked away, April dropped to her knees and openly wept. This wasn't something Mark was used to seeing. The last time he'd seen April cry was when she'd gotten pregnant at sixteen and had to leave everything behind. She hid her emotions well, well enough for her to never cry.

Before Mark had the chance to console her, Abbi and Anna were right by her side, their arms wrapped around their sister as she let everything out. Mark bawked. His three girls were engulfed in a beautiful silver light, illuminating as they sat curled around each other. He looked just above them and almost had a heart attack. There, smile on her face, stood his beloved Jodi, as beautiful as she was the day she left them. She smiled sweetly as silver sparkles swirled from her fingertips, surrounding the girls in front of her. She looked up and saw Mark, tilting her head and smiling even more. He barely had time to read her lips before she disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared.

 _It's time for them to face their great destiny. Our girls, our three beautiful witches, have a long road ahead of them. Teach them._

Mark blinked.

Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice the little light show. Scott had darted to Anna's side once it had subsided and pulled her to him, staring at her like she'd grown a second head. She blinked, smiling at him.

"I had a feeling this day was going to come," she said, looking at her sisters. Abbi smiled and helped April to her feet.

"The Lyn line has always been magical. We're good witches, born with special powers to help people. And now that we're finally together, we can save the world," she said, looking at April.

April held her arms, looking at the ground as if she was going to cry again. Abbi smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Does that mean I get powers too?" Gunner asked, looking at Mark. His father shrugged, not knowing what the hell was going on. Why he and Scott weren't as fazed by this as he thought they would be was a mystery. Maybe, somewhere deep down, they believed in magic.

"Sadly, no, Gunner. The magic only gets passed down to women," Abbi replied, smiling softly at her little brother. He pouted then shrugged, his disinterest clear.

"No skin off my nose, I get to live a normal life while you three save the world."

"Xander first."

It took every one a few seconds to realize who the croaky whisper had come from. April looked up, her gaze connecting with her older sister's. Abbi cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowing with confusion.

"Xander first or I'm outta here. I don't want to save the world if he's not in it."

 _Always the defiant one,_ Mark thought, watching this all unfold.

Anna reached out for her sister's hand, curling her fingers around April's. Abbi looked at them both and nodded, heading off towards Xander's room. They followed closely behind her. Scott and Gunner, both incredibly confused, stared after them. Mark chose this moment to dash after them; maybe they'd need his help.

"We're fine without you, Dad," April seethed, throwing a glare his way before turning into Xander's room.

The machine's next to him beeped softly as he stared out the window, his dark hair messy and stuck to his face. He turned slowly when the girl's walked in, smiling when April ran to his side and held his hand. He looked like a walking corpse with sunken eyes and paper-thin, pale skin. The last time Mark had seen Xander, he had been a glowing ball of energy. Not literally of course, but he had just been told he was signed to EMI Records, one of the biggest recording companies in the country, and that he and the Rejects, his band, were to start work on their first studio album as soon as possible. Now here he was, lying in a hospital bed, waiting for his timer to click down to zero.

 _And there's nothing I can do about it,_ Mark thought to himself as he watched the girls interact.

"The doc says I'm too far gone to be helped," he croaked, his throat probably feeling like it was on fire. April sniffed, holding his hand to her cheek.

"We can save you, baby," she whispered, kissing the palm of his hand. He smiled back, reaching with his other hand to gently wipe away the tear that had trickled it's way out of her eye.

"This is my punishment for everything I've done. There's no saving me this time," he replied. A harsh sob escaped April's throat as she held onto her love's hand as tight as she could. He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "I love you, Angel."

Mark felt the room grow cold as Xander's last breath slipped away, the machine beside him flat lining.

"If you're going to do this, do it now," he said, his girls turning to face him. "The Angel of Death waits for no one."

"It just so happens I have a spell ready to go," Abbi said with a grin, reaching into her jacket pocket and handing a slip of paper to Anna. "This is the protection half of it. The other half is up to April."

April took a deep breath as her sisters started chanting.

"Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be. Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be."

On and on this went. Mark's senses picked up on the warmth spreading through the room, entranced by the golden light that floated down from above. April shook her head, looking up at her father.

"I can't do this," she whispered, holding Xander's limp hand close to her heart. He smiled softly at her.

"You're a Calaway, April; of course you can."

April's lips formed a thin line as she turned back to her lover. He was limp and growing colder and colder as the seconds ticked away.

 _Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be. Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be._

The golden glow grew, allowing for the spirits of their ancestors to join them. Mark stepped back into the doorway, out of the glow's reach. He was consumed with dark powers, evil ran through him like a virus. If the light touched him, who knew what would happen.

 _Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be. Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be._

"From the heart, April," Mark said, catching April's lost stare. She looked up at him again. He smiled in return. "You can't get it wrong if it's the truth."

 _Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be. Love and light, protect thee, as we will it, so mote it be._

April turned back to her beloved Xander, holding tightly to his hand. She reached her free hand up to tuck his fringe back into the rest of his hair, showing off his near-transparent skin.

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is stronger than death," she said softly. She didn't appear to notice it, but Xander's left hand began to glow, just above the first knuckle of his thumb. Mark watched closely as an intricately drawn 'A' with three tiny stars surrounding it appeared on his skin in gold ink. In a handwriting that he knew all too well; it was Jodi's loopy scrawl. He smiled, tilting his head to look back at his daughter as tears slipped from her eyes.

"Whither my love, wherever he be, through time and space take my heart nearer to thee."

As she said these words, her finger started to glow in the same fashion as her boyfriend's. This time, a swirly 'X' with a rose behind it appeared, except this time in silver ink. Mark smirked.

"Return my love, wherever he be, through time and space, bring him back to me."

Her sister's stopped their chanting at this point, allowing the golden glow that had filled the room to fade away. April blinked away the tears before leaning up to touch Xander's face, brushing his hair softly.

"Baby?"

Mark could feel his magic swirling as he looked at Xander. Was April's love enough to save him? Is that all it would take to return him to them in one piece, the same as before? He could feel his eyes turning black as his magic built, forming like fire in his hands. He sent a tiny piece of his immortality to Xander, letting it land on his head and sink in.

Behind the roar that had built up in his head as his magic did, he heard a deep growl. He had no idea who it belonged to, but he figured it wouldn't be good.

 _How dare you?!_ Serenity's voice rang in his head like someone had let firecrackers off right beside him and he crouched down in pain, holding his temples. _That was not your magic to give away!_

 _Maybe not,_ he thought in return, using the wall to help him back up, leaning against it for support. _But it's not my powers you want. It's my soul. Whatever I give to him, you can torture out of me when I go._

The growl faded away as he blinked, his eyes returning to their natural color. He turned and looked at his girls as they watched in shock as silver light surrounded Xander. The color soon returned to his face and his muscles returned to their normal size. Mark watched as the sheets rose and fell with Xander's breathing. His eyes jerked open and he sat up as fast as lightening, looking around the room like someone had stabbed him with a cattle prod. He turned, looking April dead in the eye.

"Angel?"

Mark smiled to himself as he left the room, his last memory of the resurrection of Xander floating through his mind. Xander throwing his arms around April and Anna, holding them close as he realizes exactly what's happened; he's been given new life, a second chance if you will.

 _I have officially passed the torch,_ Mark thought, heading down the hallway to the elevator. _Now it's Xander's turn to take care of them._

Time for him to focus on the one thing he'd been trying to do for the past several years since his deal had been renewed.

How to stop Serenity from claiming her payment.


	12. Chapter Eleven: The Reason (Part 1)

Chapter Eleven: The Reason (Part One)

 _Cincinnati, Ohio- January 21st, 2010_

"This is by far the worst idea you've ever had."

Mark watched the stupid, obnoxious smirk appear on his little brother's face as he sat in front of his laptop. He was in a hotel room in Ohio and he was Skype calling Glenn, who now preferred to be called Kane, who was in a Nevada Asylum, currently using his recreation time to tell his brother just what he was planning.

"It's not that bad of an idea. Think about it, you help me, I help you," he said, smirking. Mark barked laughter in return, shaking his head at his brother.

"I'm not going to let your boyfriend suck my dick just so you can help me with Serenity. And if you force it on me, I will call rape."

Kane rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. Behind him was Doctor Stevie, the psychologist who had admitted Kane to begin with. He was taking notes and keeping a close eye on his favorite patient.

"You are so touchy when it comes to your sexuality," he groaned, flopping his head down onto the desk in front of him. Mark smiled.

Though they'd briefly come to blows before, Mark and Kane had essentially straightened out their differences, leaving it in the past, simply because they realized they needed each other. Mark needed his little brother, who wasn't so little at seven-feet tall, three-hundred pounds, to help him convince Serenity to leave his soul alone, and Kane needed Mark to help him get out of the asylum, preferably with his lover and long-time partner, Raven, in tow. The problem was, Kane couldn't actively discuss his escape plan while his doctor was behind him because he would be thrown into solitary confinement for the rest of his sentence, which was until his death, and Mark couldn't openly discuss his problem with Serenity because he didn't know who might be listening, especially the dark Goddess herself. She'd admitted to Mark before that she was always watching, she knew where he was at all times and knew every word he ever said. But he didn't know if she was still watching, considering the last time he'd seen her, she had thrown him off a balcony, and the last time he'd heard her voice in his mind, she was screeching at him not to share his immortality.

"Not really, little brother," he replied with a smirk. "I am very open about my sexuality. I just don't want to get super AIDS from Raven, because we all know he takes it from you so hard you probably gave him the ultra plague."

Kane smirked in return, looking up at the screen. "I haven't had it in a very long time, but I can tell you that he is very, very good."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Kane, I don't want to know. Back on topic please."

"What exactly are you going about to do about the Bitch Goddess from Hell? Because you're probably not going to survive when she comes to collect."

"That's exactly why I need your help."

"What help am I going to be from a padded cell?"

"You could at least give me an idea besides the one you've already given me, because let's face it, I would rather go free diving in shark infested waters while covered in goat blood than be raped by your boyfriend."

Kane's hairless eyebrow rose. "That is incredibly specific."

Mark stared at his brother for a second before letting out an exasperated sigh. The bald idiot that was in front of him couldn't possibly be this thick, could he? Kane had ditched the mask a few years before this conversation and he looked just as hideous as Mark thought he would, he'd also torn away the top half of his red jump suit, revealing his pale chest, dotted with scars from skin grafts gone awry. He was a monster now, and it was something he loved more than anything else in the world, except maybe murdering people.

"I've learned to be specific. When you give a request to someone as vague as 'make me the Lord of Darkness', you figure out the mistake pretty fucking quickly." Mark curled his lips angrily. He could see Stevie looking over at Kane as if to say 'times up' and he growled.

"I get the feeling I'm about to be dragged back to my cell kicking and screaming. I'll call you tomorrow," Kane said, standing before Stevie had a chance to even call him over. The screen went back to it's usual blue wave which left Mark alone with his thoughts. Probably not the best idea, considering his mindset.

Serenity was coming and there was nothing he could do about it.

Just as he was about retrieve one of the pillows that he'd thrown to the ground the night before and scream into it, the hotel room door opened and in stepped Michelle McCool, his new fiance. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a bun and she had a defeated look on her face. Mark stood from his seat and walked over to her, taking her hand and bringing it up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles softly.

"What happened?" he asked, his free hand pulling her closer to him by her hips. She looked up at him and smiled softly.

"April said she would rather go bungee jumping without a bungee cord than be involved in our 'satanic union'," Michelle replied with a sigh, looking up into the eyes of her soon-to-be husband. He pulled her in close and hugged her, feeling her sigh again, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I know how much you wanted your whole family to be there in June."

"I know, baby," he whispered, gently stroking her head. That was two invitations that had been sent back to him now, one from April with a polite 'no', not including her little outburst at Michelle earlier, and one from Gunner that said in massive letters 'FUCK NO!' Not a good start to the year, granted, but there was still time. The wedding wasn't until June, and he still had a little bit of time after that to figure out just what the hell he was going to do about Serenity. October seemed to be the month for collecting, around the time of Halloween.

"You know," he said, pulling away from Michelle slightly, still keeping his hands on her lower back. "I really need to stop procrastinating."

Michelle giggled, swatting him on the chest. "What have you left til the last minute this time?"

Mark smirked, watching her walk towards the kitchen nook, grabbing a bottle of juice. "Well for one I need to get around to visiting my brother, and I need to talk to April myself."

It wasn't exactly a lie; he did need to figure out his troubled relationship with April and visit Kane. But he'd left off the crucial third point of trying to communicate with Serenity and ask what he could do to get out of their arrangement unscathed. Probably not going to happen, but worth a try.

"Yeah, I'm not going one on one with the demon daughter again," Michelle said, breaking through his thoughts. He looked at her, sitting cross legged on top of the kitchen counter. He grinned at her. "Hey, WWE gave her that name, not me."

Mark's grin switched to a smirk as he ran a set of fingers through his hair. "Is she still in her hotel room?"

"She was getting up to tend to baby number three when I left."

"I'll be back. If I come back in a body bag, she murdered me."

Michelle laughed, but it was a laugh that hid her actual fear of what April would actually do to her father.

~X~

Mark tapped three times on April's hotel room door and waited, expecting April to scream in his face. Instead, it was Xander who opened the door, his tail-feathers looking incredibly ruffled, so to speak. His black hair was spiked all over his head and he had the business end of a butcher's knife sticking out of his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at his father-in-law. He and April were a week away from their second wedding anniversary, so Mark could understand why he looked so disgruntled and tired.

"Evening, Xander," Mark said politely, raising an eyebrow at him. Xander blinked and removed the knife from his mouth.

"I gather Michelle gave you the bad news, then?" he asked, leaning against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Tell my sperm donor to choke on a bag of cement!" April called from in the room. Mark rolled his eyes.

"Can I at least try and talk to you?" he called back, watching Xander turn and look at his wife. Judging by the look on the rocker's face, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Mark sighed loudly and shoved Xander out of the way, stepping into the darkened room. The blinds had been drawn so his youngest grand-child, the two-month-old Piper, could sleep peacefully. He caught her light snoring from the bassinet that was set up across from the bed where his second oldest child was sitting, legs and arms crossed, Calaway scowl all over her face.

"Piss off, Deadman," she growled, glaring daggers at her father.

"No, not until I find out why you won't be attending my wedding," he growled in return, standing his ground and staring down his ever-defiant child. She didn't bat an eye as her eyebrow rose.

"You know why, now get out."

"Really? Because you happened to go to high-school with Michelle you've decided to be the uber bitch you've grown into? That's so incredibly mature."

"Reminds me of you, marrying someone almost twenty years your junior."

"I think I'm gonna go fill my stomach with enough vodka to put me in a coma," Xander muttered, putting the knife he'd been holding on the table near the door, vacating the room before someone started throwing things everywhere.

"I know for a fact this is not about the age gap. You didn't like Sara either."

April scowled, standing and facing her father, her full six-foot-two frame illuminated by the lamp behind her. She looked like a terrifying silhouette, ready to pounce on someone in a darkened alley. He stood his ground, crossing both arms over his chest.

"Maybe not, but she was a lot nicer than McBitch," she seethed, walking towards her father. He watched her move gracefully from the bed to just in front of him. She looked up at him and he could see fury in her eyes. But he'd faced the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment and come out the other side relatively unscathed, so this was a walk in the park to him. "Now get out of my hotel room before I call the police."

"You'd call the cops on your own father?"

"You're no father to me, you lying hypocrite, now get out."

That caught Mark off guard. He blinked at her, feeling his heart crack in half all over again. The same thing had happened when she'd run away from home when she was sixteen. For over a year he'd worried about her, even going as far as to call her housemates several times a day just to make sure she was still breathing. Yes, he was that kind of father, but it had never been a bad thing, even back then.

He could feel his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold himself back from crying, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. He could see the rage in her eyes, steaming hot and raw. His family was falling apart even further, all because he wanted to be happy, with what little time he had left. He turned to the table beside the door and retrieved the knife, handing it to April, handle first. It was a butcher's knife, used for cooking, but what he had in mind was a little bit different to filleting a fish.

A little, but not much.

"I know how you must feel right now; you're bubbling with rage. I understand that," Mark said, watching the look of confusion cross his daughter's face. "I live with an insurmountable level of rage every day of my life. I watch you and Anna and Gunner and Abbi all growing and changing like the seasons. I can't change, no matter how much I wish I could." He sighed, removing his leather jacket. This was going to hurt a lot. "With you hating me... I can't bare it. So, drive that knife into my black, little heart. Give me what I deserve. I have nothing left to lose."

April looked at the knife in her hand then at her father. He blinked, moving his arms out so she had a clear shot. His face remained stoic as he watched her contemplating her decision. And then, as if some wave of emotion washed over her, her eyes darkened and she lunged, driving the blade through his chest and into his heart, piercing it.

He dropped to his knees, feeling everything he wished he couldn't; shame, fear, rage, and most of all, regret. Everything he'd ever done and would ever do was right here. He'd spawned children, beautiful children, all unique and wonderful. He was darkness, chaos and fear inside a corked up bottle waiting to explode.

April stepped back, watching her father closely. He looked up at her, feeling his eyes turn black.

"You can't kill me, Angel. I know, I've tried. Thousands of times now, more than I can count actually, I have gotten low and haven't seen a way out. So I put a gun in my mouth and fired... then spat the bullet back out."

April dropped to her knees in front of her father, her eyes wide with confusion.

"What are you?"

"A monster, that's all I've ever been."

April let out a shrill scream as she scooted away from her father, watching the flames ignite around him.

It was at that very moment that Xander returned, pushing open the door with a bottle of Vodka in his hands. As he took in the scene in front of him, the bottle dropped to the floor and shattered. He watched, his mouth dropped open in a silent scream, as the fire around his father-in-law dimmed.

Mark smiled, pulling the knife from his chest and standing, turning to his son-in-law.

"That was a waste of good liquor."


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Reason (Part 2)

Chapter Twelve: The Reason (Part Two)

 _Cincinnati, Ohio- January 21st, 2010_

It was quiet as Mark let his wound heal. It wasn't painful, but it did take time. April stared at her father with a blank expression, blinking as she tried to let everything sink in. Xander, still standing near the door, spluttered, his eyes stuck on the scene in front of him. Mark dusted off the dry blood on his shirt, looking between his daughter and her husband, wondering which of them was going to speak first. The silence grew and he sighed.

"I guess I have some explaining to do," he said finally, taking a seat on the sofa. April continued to stare from her seat on the floor.

"What in the blue hell was that?!" she all but screamed, covering her mouth so she didn't wake Piper. Mark smiled.

"They don't call me the Deadman for nothing, Angel," he replied, winking at her. She stood, sitting on the sofa opposite him. His lips curled into a thin line as he tried to think of the words. Before he could open his mouth, Xander spoke finally.

"That explains a lot, actually."

Mark looked at him, eyebrow raised. Xander was obviously a lot more intelligent than Mark gave him credit for, that was for sure. He smirked at his son-in-law.

"It explains why you can't die, either, Mr. Lung-Cancer." Xander smirked at the comment.

"What did you do to him?" April asked quietly, her eyes glued to her father. He smiled.

"When you cast that spell on Xander when he died, you brought him back to life and bound him to you. You both wear your love's heart on your sleeve, although it is on your thumb."

They both looked down at the tattoos on their hands at this, studying the golden ink. Mark leaned onto his hand.

"I decided to pass the torch to him, make him your protector instead of me. So I gave him a little bit of my immortality, allowing him to become what he is now."

"That doesn't explain why you can't die, Dad," April said, looking up at her father. He looked back at her, studying her face. Was she ready to know his darkest secret? Could she keep it that way?

"That story is a little bit longer."

~X~

It took all of an hour for Mark to explain the situation with Serenity; his direct involvement in the murder of his biological parents, the mental-scarring and disfigurement of his baby brother, his trip on the face-plant to Hell, the deal, and every mistake there after. By the end of it, a lump had built up in his throat and he was ready to cry, realizing just how big a mistake he'd made. He'd sacrificed everything for his little piece of eternity, and at the greatest of prices.

April leaned forward in her seat, looking at her father. Xander traced his fingers over her shoulder blades and looked at Mark.

"So you sold your soul to the She-Devil in exchange for a set of limited but limitless powers, all because you thought living forever sounded cool?" he asked, curious. Mark nodded.

"I didn't know what I'd done until I woke up in front of the house, watching it burn down," Mark replied, his voice low. He looked at the floor.

"So why didn't you ask her to take back the powers?" April asked, leaning back into Xander's arms. He curled an arm around her shoulders, feeling her skin shiver under his fingertips.

"I never got the chance. I wanted to know what would happen the second time I died, but I got distracted trying to figure out what she was."

April sighed, standing and walking over to Piper, making sure she was still peacefully sleeping. Mark watched her closely.

"Will your powers pass on?" she finally asked, looking up at her Dad as she rubbed at her daughter's thin black hair. Mark shook his head.

"As far as I can tell, your mom's magic counteracts mine. If anything, Piper was born with good magic in her blood, not dark magic like mine. My powers don't pass on genetically, only with blood to blood contact."

"Convenient," Xander chortled with a sarcastic grin. Mark smirked back at him.

"Your powers are mixed with Jodi's, therefore yours are both good and bad. You're as neutral as they come."

"A few years ago, if you had told me this story I would have had you committed," April whispered, flopping down onto the bed. She smiled at her father, something she hadn't done in a very long time, not since he'd announced his engagement. He smiled back.

"Sometimes I wish this whole thing was one big, acid-induced dream. But it's not, and I now have to live with the consequences." He looked at her and watched her lips curl into a thin line. "I know it's a lot to take in, but-"

"Dad, I need time," she replied, pulling a pillow onto her face. He smiled in return, understanding exactly where she was coming from. Being told your father is a lord of darkness would be hard for anyone to take in, let alone his children. And the fact that Serenity was now coming for his soul sooner rather than later was enough to send anyone off the deep end.

Mark nodded at her, heading for the door. Before leaving, he turned back to see Xander sitting down beside April, curling an arm around her shoulders and bringing her close to him.

"Let me know when you want to talk," he said, to both of them. Xander would definitely need time to come to terms with the fact his immortality was limited just as Mark's was.

As Mark shut the door and started to head back to his hotel room, he stopped, his head hung low.

He really wasn't an all powerful God as he'd pretended to be in his youth. Right now he was a grumpy old man with more issues than brain cells. Maybe he did need to pay the ultimate price for his mistake. Like he'd told April, he had nothing left to lose.

A gust of air blew past Mark as he turned and walked to his hotel room, he turned and noticed that the window at the end of the hall way was open. He smirked and walked over to it, pulling it tightly closed. The hotel was cold enough as it was; they didn't need anymore cold air rushing through the hallways. He turned and wandered back down the hall, heading back to his hotel room to shower and change before he had to be at the arena for work.

He didn't realize, but his epiphany had been just enough to wake Lady Iremia, High Queen of Hell and Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment, from her decade of rest.

Serenity sat up in her bed and turned as Hades walked in, his head bowed respectfully. Serenity stood instantly, slipping into the silk robe Hades had draped over his muscular arms. At the sudden movement, Hades looked at the Queen who was grinning from ear to ear.

"He's ready! He's finally ready!" she all but cheered. Hades raised an eyebrow.

"Markus is ready to be punished?"

Serenity shook her head, evil grin spreading across her face.

"No, Hades. Prepare the portal to Purgatorio; I'm going to collect my prize." She stopped as she reached her wardrobe, looking over her shoulder at Hades who wore a puzzled expression. Serenity laughed, a hearty laugh that would make anyone shiver.

"My Lady, if you'll forgive my bluntness, but how do you expect Markus to willingly give you his soul? He has been fighting against you for decades, long enough that he now has a firm grip on it. Taking it from him will be a difficult task," the God of the Underworld asked, bobbing his head respectfully. Serenity turned to face him fully.

"I intend to get close to him, so he will give it to me willingly. It won't take much," she replied, turning and stepping into her wardrobe, looking at all her fine clothing. Hades stepped to the door behind her, not daring to enter without the Queen's permission. Serenity waved a hand to allow him entry. He stepped in behind the Queen, keeping up with the slightly shorter Goddess.

"I beg your indulgence, your grace, but how do you intend to do that?"

Serenity sighed and turned towards Hades, the veins appearing in her face again. It happened far too often these days. It only happened when she was frustrated or angry, but it occurred enough for it to be a problem as she couldn't even look at herself in the mirror when it happened; it reminded her of the monster she really was. She shook her head to get rid of them and winked at Hades, watching him pale significantly.

"I intend to bring old Glory back from the dead."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Bachelor Party (1)

Chapter Thirteen: The Bachelor Party (Part One)

 _Las Vegas, Nevada- March 5th, 2010_

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Mark eyed the man in front of him with a blank stare. Shawn Michaels, someone he'd worked with for a very long time, merely shook his head at the younger man in front of them. Paul Levesque, Xander's older brother, grinned at them both.

"Isn't that what you're supposed to do for a bachelor party?" he asked, putting his water bottle back into his locker. He poked his head out from behind the door, grinning like a fool.

"Strip _pers_ , yes," Mark laughed, rolling his eyes, "strip _clubs_ , not so much."

Shawn smiled and got up from the bench he was sitting on, walking over to his bag. "Hunter, I really don't think that's a great idea."

"You would, though, Shawn," Paul replied, dorky grin still in place. Shawn looked over at his best friend and scowled. Mark grinned as he watched the exchange. Though Shawn was older by quiet a few years, the two of them had been best friends since the late nineties. Together with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, the boys had formed a backstage group called the Kliq. Shawn had drifted away due to drug and alcohol related problems, so much so that he had quit wrestling for a few years, only to come back as a born-again Christian. He stepped away from things like strippers and parties, deciding it better to keep his head on straight and follow a path of virtue, not sin.

"Guys, back on topic please," he said, drawing the younger men's attention. "Paul, I put you in charge of my bachelor party because you threw Xander's, but I am very much against going to a strip club."

Paul pouted, leaning back against his now-closed locker. "Why?"

"Because I shouldn't have to pay money to see someone strip when I have Michelle who will do it for free."

Shawn let out a chuckle, smiling slightly as the door opened and John Cena stepped in, on the phone.

"Yes, Xander, I know. Just make sure- well, no, but what has that got to do with..? Fine. Talk to you later," he said, hanging up his phone and dropping it onto his bag, sitting down beside Mark and pulling his cap further over his face.

"Dealing with my son-in-law can be a grind," Mark commented, grinning as John tilted his head to look at him.

"You have no idea. So, what conversation have I walked in on?"

"We're trying to convince Mark to go to a strip club for his bachelor party," Paul said, groaning as Shawn slapped him across the stomach.

"You mean _you_ were trying to convince him, I have nothing to do with this."

"Remove the crucifix from your ass and lighten up, Shawn."

"What have I told you about blasphemy?"

It was at this moment that Vince McMahon, owner of the WWE and Chairman of the Board walked in, raising an eyebrow at the two men arguing. Vince was an older man, in his mid sixties, with graying hair and a strong jawline. He was tall, broad shouldered and always immaculately dressed in a tailored suit. He and Mark had a very good relationship, so much so that if there was trouble backstage, Vince sent the perpetrators to Mark before he himself dealt with it. Vince had been the first person to receive a wedding invitation outside of Mark's immediate family, that's how close they were.

Mark bit back a chuckle; he knew exactly what was coming from the Chairman. Judging by the soft chuckle from John, he knew too. This wasn't going to end well.

"Do I need to put you two in time-out?" Vince asked, light smile on his face. Mark had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing at the look of sheer terror on Paul's face.

Paul had married Vince's daughter, Stephanie, about seven years ago, risking life and limb to make the boss' daughter happy. One wrong move on his behalf left Paul terrified every day of a fist going through his face and out the other side.

"No, Vince, we're just arguing about silly things, really," Paul replied, his demeanor changing considerably. John fell off the seat beside Mark he was laughing that hard.

"Good. Mark, a word?" Vince asked, looking towards the slightly younger man. Mark nodded and stood, following the Chairman into the hallway.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, leaning up against the wall. Vince crossed his arms and looked at his employee.

"What's this I hear about you having a bachelor party on the strip this weekend?"

Mark smiled, looking away from his boss. _Wow, news spreads fast around here. Remind me not to leave Paul in charge of anything ever again._

"I only wanted it to be a small thing; a few drinks with the boys at a bar, but Paul is very insistent about having strippers."

"Going to a strip club as I heard it."

Mark sighed, running a set of fingers through his hair. Of course Vince had heard about Paul's asinine idea, there weren't a lot of people in the company who didn't. The Divas probably knew, if Paul had told Stephanie. Which meant Michelle would know, and that didn't bode well for the Deadman.

Vince smiled at him, like a father would smile at his son, but then his lips curled into an evil smirk and Mark had to wonder what was going through his boss' head.

"I'm all for it, considering I'm paying for it."

Mark froze. Vince was paying for his bachelor party? Since when had that been arranged? Mark hadn't asked him, he wouldn't dare; he'd left everything up to Paul.

That's when it struck him.

"Excuse me, boss," he seethed, stepping back into the locker room where Paul was attempting to balance a set of DX glow sticks on the bridge of his nose.

"PAUL!"

The sudden yelling caused Paul to jump and drop the glow sticks into his lap, forming a glowing, green 'X' over his crotch.

Mark took this as a sign from the heavens that Paul deserved to be kicked in his family jewels. So, reeling back so he had a good amount of momentum behind, he kicked Paul between the legs, surprising both John and Shawn who scooted away from the angry Deadman. Vince sidled up behind Mark and smiled, watching this whole thing unfold.

As Paul curled into himself and groaned, Mark kicked him again, this time in the thigh. It wasn't as hard as the first kick, but it did the trick; Paul flipped over almost instantly and faced Mark, looking up at him. Mark crouched in front of him, catching the terrified look in Paul's eyes.

"Why I put you in charge of my bachelor party, I will never know."

~X~

"I really wish you hadn't have done that."

Paul groaned as Xander, who had only just entered the locker room to see what all the fuss was about, dropped an ice-pack onto his brother's nether region. Mark, from his position near the door, grinned down at the blond who was still curled in the fetal position.

"I really wish you hadn't told everyone and their dog I was going to be in a strip club."

"You need to let loose, man. Michelle didn't care when I told her."

"Not the point."

Xander nudged at Paul's leg to get his attention.

"You do remember my bachelor party, don't you?" he asked, leaning back on the bench and looking down at his brother. Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Vaguely. I was pretty hammered that night."

"You rocked up at my house while April and the girls were gone and fed me vodka until I needed to go to hospital. Do you remember my reaction?"

Paul looked down sheepishly. Mark remembered it all too well.

When Xander had been discharged from the hospital, he had called Paul and blasted him while he'd been in the middle of a business meeting. Paul had almost been fired due to the argument they had over the phone. Mark had been sitting in on the meeting the whole time, listening to the brothers argue. It had eventually ended when Vince told Paul to get out and chill out; he'd deal with him later.

Paul looked up at Mark.

"Sorry."

Mark took a deep breath, almost as if he was going to rant until his face turned blue and fell off, but instead, he bent down in front of Paul, getting incredibly close to his face, and smiled.

"You're paying for my lap dance."


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Bachelor Party (2)

Chapter Fourteen: The Bachelor Party (Part Two)

 _Las Vegas, Nevada- March 7th, 2010_

Upon entering his hotel room, Mark bawked, his jaw almost touching the floor, when he spotted who was standing on his balcony. The knee-length, chestnut hair with flowers scattered through it could only belong to one Goddess in the Greek Pantheon, and Mark was surprised to see her in the mortal realm. He dropped his duffle onto his bed and stepped through the open door, bowing politely, one arm behind him, one arm folded at his ribs.

"It's a pleasure and a surprise to see you, Lady Persephone," he mused, watching as Persephone turned, smiling.

"Good evening, Markus," she replied with a smile. "The pleasure is all mine, as always."

Mark smiled and stepped up to the balcony railing beside her, looking out over the strip as the sun went down, signaling the end of another day. He took in a deep breath, casting away his thoughts from the day. He'd just competed in a non-televised match with Mark Henry and he was sore all over. But he couldn't rest; not yet. He still had his bachelor party to endure later.

"What can I do for you, my lady?" he asked, looking up at the Queen of the Underworld. Persephone gave him a sweet smile before sitting in one of the chairs that was near them.

"As you can probably tell, this is not a social visit," she confided, gesturing to the seat opposite her. Mark sat down, almost obediently. Though she was a lower level Queen, he still held respect for her. Her lips curled into a soft smile, her head tilting slightly. "I am supposed to be with my mother right now, but despite the fact he doesn't like you, my loving husband has asked me to relay a message to you."

Mark snorted laughter and leaned back in his seat, eyeing the Earth Goddess. He never pictured Hades as loving. Neurotic and incredibly protective, maybe, but not loving. He was too much of a hard-ass to be anything else.

"And what does the Lord of Assholes have to say to me?"

Persephone scowled and let out a sigh.

"I understand that you reciprocate his feelings, but could you please not call him that? You do not know him well enough to make assumptions on his character. He is not as hard as he comes across."

"He shows his soft side to his bride, much like most males," Mark replied, leaning his arm on the table. He smiled. "But for you, Penny, I will."

Persephone raised an eyebrow at the nickname he had given her.

"Penny?"

"Easier for me to say than Persephone. Plus I can talk about you to my friends and not have them know I've been to Hell and back, twice."

Persephone grinned at him and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"All he said to me was 'Glory be to the man who can best Serenity.' I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that."

That was not exactly comforting, but it did sound like a warning. What was Hades warning him about? Mark knew Serenity was coming; he had the entire month of October circled on his calender to make sure he didn't forget when he would be flayed alive. Serenity did seem like the type to play games with her victims, so he expected her to show up sooner, one of the many reasons he didn't want his bachelor party to be such a big deal. If Hades was warning him about what was to come, he'd already figured out that part as well; it would most likely be a fight to the finish, with either himself or the Dark Goddess coming out on top. His main reason for wanting to bust Kane out of the asylum; he'd need all the help he could get.

"That's vague," he said, looking at Persephone. She shrugged.

"I don't know the Queen's plan, but I do know that you don't deserve the punishment she will bring." The Nature Goddess stood and bowed her head. He stood and bowed politely, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Thank you, Penny. I will try and figure that out."

"Have a blessed evening, Mark."

With a smile and a soft giggle, Persephone vanished behind the swirl of pretty cherry blossoms. They wafted to the ground on the balcony. Mark stood and walked into his hotel room, deciding to put that conversation on the back burner for now. He had better things to worry about, like how much money could he milk from Paul tonight with his lap dance.

~X~

It wasn't a surprise to Mark at all that Paul had chosen the most obnoxious strip club on the Las Vegas Strip. It was a bright red building, two stories high, with a flashing neon sign that said 'Tease 'Em Club'. Mark, Shawn, Paul, Xander, Vince, Gunner and Scott stepped out of the limo and looked up, Gunner and Scott both bursting into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Mark looked over at his cackling son and almost slapped him. Gunner was laughing so hard he almost collapsed on the pavement, holding his sides as he took in gasping breaths of air.

"What's so funny, Gun?" Xander asked, helping Scott bring Mark's oldest son to his feet.

"I get lap dances here all the time," the rapper replied, wiping tears from his eyes.

Mark rolled his eyes, following Paul and Shawn up the steps. No surprise there; Gunner was a notorious horn-dog and, though he was loyal to Cassie, he tended to sleaze around just that little bit extra. Cassie didn't mind, though, as they were in an open marriage; they could sleep with anyone they chose, as long as it didn't mean anything. Monogamy, for them, was a thing of the past.

When they were shown inside by the helpful receptionist, Mark stopped in the door way and shook his head, smirk plastered to his face.

The club looked like what all strip clubs would look like; deep purple walls, a stage in the middle with two poles specifically designed for the dancers. A few patrons were sitting at tables that were placed around the stage, putting money into the waistbands of the topless girls who swiveled their hips to the music on the stage. On the far right hand side was a cocktail bar, a beautiful woman with red hair wiping it down and chatting away to the burly men who gave her attention. On the right hand side of the bar was a staircase with a red velvet rope in front of it, a sign swinging from it that said 'VIP Patrons Only'. Mark figured it was for friends of the owner.

To the left hand side of the stage were magenta curtains, split down the middle. Some of the girls were taking patrons into them, smiling and batting their fake-eyelashes at them. The private booths.

Paul tapped Mark on the shoulder and then pointed onto the stage.

Swinging her way around a pole, her right leg curled around the metal shaft and taking money between her teeth, was a blond. She wasn't very tall, maybe five foot seven inches, with an athletic body. She had pouty red lips, a perfectly curved face and a labret piercing, the ring shining in the center of her bottom lip. Her curly hair was tied back in a pony-tail, her fringe flipping as she did, and she was wearing a red and black striped bathing suit, the kind that left very little to the imagination. She wore black, strappy stiletto heels on her feet that were currently curled around the pole.

"That's your girl."

Gunner sauntered up beside his father and wolf whistled.

"She's like Michelle on steroids," he said with a smirk. Mark bit back the urge to roundhouse kick him into a wall. Instead, he let out a disgruntled sigh and sat down at one of the tables.

As he sat watching the blond twist and pivot with her routine, he felt the urge to stick a twenty dollar note in her mouth. She was a very talented dancer, who definitely knew her way around a pole. It was a degrading job, no doubt, but one he understood completely. These girls were probably paying off college debts or earning a paycheck to keep their children fed. Some probably enjoyed the job, so even with their debts paid, they still danced, entertaining everyone that walked in the door.

Mark was about to get up and leave the uncomfortable situation when a pretty red-head came up to his table and sat down. She was tallish, pale and had the build of a dancer. She was wearing a pink lace corset-panty combination with a deep red garter belt that kept her red fishnet tights up. She smiled and tucked a lock of her red hair back into her messy bun.

"Good evening, Mr Calaway," she greeted, her voice low and seductive. He smirked back at her.

"Evening."

"My name is Ivory, and I can see you staring at our new girl."

Mark turned his head back to the blond as she winked and blew a kiss his way, waltzing back down the isle, her curvaceous backside wiggling as she went. He turned back to Ivory.

"Indeed. She's very talented," he replied, raising an eyebrow. Ivory smiled and leaned forward in her seat, gesturing for him to do the same.

"It is my understanding that you are getting married soon. Your friends have requested for you to spend one night with our little piece of glory."

Mark leaned back and stared at her.

"What, she doubles as an escort?"

Ivory let out a low giggle, standing and heading back towards the staircase near the entrance. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was a passage way behind the bar, most likely leading backstage, right near it. The blond stood in the doorway, smiling as Ivory walked up to her. The Madam, or he assumed she was the Madam considering she'd come up to him directly and introduced herself instead of letting him try to guess her name, whispered something into her ear and then turned her head back to Mark, smiling softly and then heading upstairs. The blond smiled and wandered over, walking straight past Paul and Scott who were sitting at the bar. They both cat called her, acting like the obnoxious tools he knew them to be, and swigged their beers.

Mark rolled his eyes, smirk in place. This was going to be entertaining.

Before Mark could even react, he was yanked to his feet by the collar and dragged off to a private booth. She shoved him roughly into the leather seat and grinned at him.

"I heard a rumor that you like it rough, love," she mused, her voice low and sultry. He sat up straight in the seat and grinned.

"You'd be surprised at how rough."

"Well," his companion whispered, leaning down so she was almost nose to nose with him. She had a lovely set of sky blue eyes. "I can definitely accommodate you."

Before Mark could scream bloody murder, she had closed the curtains behind her, grinning as Mark's party mates whooped and cheered, all but Shawn who he could see shaking his head at the bar. He was about to get up but he was shoved into the seat again, and then proceeded to be mounted. Glory grinned at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You just relax, baby, let Mama take care of you."

Mark did as he was told, feeling a familiar aura from the blonde currently grinding on his lap. His mind, being the torturous thing it was, cast itself back to the night he and Serenity spent together, after he'd been beaten and bloodied by Hades and dragged back to her suite, driven mad with passion...

 _~X~Flashback, Caina, 1997~X~_

 _Serenity moaned softly as Mark's muscular body pressed her against the ceiling. They had climbed the peak to climax together, during which they'd floated to the ceiling, wrapping themselves in the red silk sheets of the bed below them. They seemed to melt together, spinning and twirling in their euphoria. Mark could feel Serenity's dainty hands holding him close to her, her legs wrapped around him as they made love in the air._

 _They'd been at it for hours now, but this was the first time they'd made love. At first it had been raw, primal; they'd given in to their savage instincts and ravaged each other like animals. Now, it was sweet, seductive... real. It was the first time Mark had felt something like this. This was what it meant to make love. No matter what happened to him after this, he would always remember the night he and Serenity were together like nothing else mattered. They were just two souls, entwined in a dance of ecstasy._

 _The Goddess shivered as she moaned out her release, Mark joining her not long after. As they slipped back down the peak of their climax, they spun back down to the bed. It felt like forever. Mark felt himself getting lost in her silver eyes. She smiled at him, allowing it to touch her eyes. They lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve all at once. She was magnificent, wonderful, glorious and he wanted to feel her under his skin always, from that moment until the end of time._

 _Mark felt the silk sheets against his back, Serenity straddling his waist, her arms still curled round his neck. He held tighter to her, feeling her skin warm beneath him. He smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the mouth, his tongue curling with hers in a dance of passion. If he never went home, he wouldn't care. He would stay here forever._

" _Why can't I stay with you forever?" he whispered, nudging his nose against hers when he'd pulled away. Her lips curled into a sad smile._

" _I couldn't keep you from your life. We will see each other again, my love," she muttered in return, kissing the tip of his nose. "I promise."_

" _Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Ren," he said, his ego kicking back in._

 _She smiled, the light retreating from her eyes. She moved her hands onto his shoulders and pushed herself up, removing her legs from his waist. He moved his hands down her waist and over her hips, grinning as she let out a giggle. She rolled onto one side of the bed, leaning up on the cushions, watching him intently._

" _You are covered in my love right now," she said with a sheepish grin. He sat up and looked at his arms. They were lined with tiny claw marks. She reached over to touch him,_ _grazing her blood-tipped nails against his bare leg._

" _You got me good, Ren," he said, reaching around to feel the scars on his lower back. He could see her smirking at him over his shoulder so he decided to pounce her, tickling her ribs as he snuggled into the bed beside her. She giggled and rolled over to wrap her arms around his waist..._

 _~X~End Flashback~X~_

Mark felt himself smiling as he felt the sun's rays on his face. He was curled up in his bed in his hotel room, warm and toasty after a rather chilly night in Sin City. He opened his eyes, looking around the room. Yep, definitely his hotel room. His duffle bag was sitting on the ottoman at the end of his bed, still open and stuffed to the brim with his gear; laptop, clothes, plane tickets. Things he would need to get home. It was at this point, though, he realized his left arm had fallen asleep. That didn't usually happen when he was curled on his back; his hand might fall asleep if he slept with it under his pillow, but his entire arm?

He turned his head, almost falling out of bed he was that startled.

Looking up at him with the bluest eyes he had even seen was Glory, the stripper he'd received the lap dance from.

"Good morning, handsome," she chirped, giggling at the surprised look on his face. He blinked and pushed himself away, actually falling off the side of the bed and to the floor this time. Glory crawled to the side, smiling down at him. "Have a nice trip?"

"What in the Nine Layers of Hell are you doing in my bed?" he all but yelled, realizing it was very early in the morning and his neighbors were still probably asleep, or hungover when it came to Paul.

Glory grinned and rolled over onto her back, curling herself further into the blankets.

"I love a man who appreciates classic literature," she mused, picking at her nails. They were painted red, the same shade as the velvet choker around her neck, complete with a gold tin bell. It was like a cat collar.

Mark raised an eyebrow at her, grabbing the sheets and wrapping them around his waist.

"What are you talking about?"

She looked up at him and beamed. "The Divine Comedy I: Inferno by Dante Alighieri. One of my favorites." She giggled and reached out to touch him. He allowed her to touch his chest, tracing her fingers down to his abdomen where 'B.S.K' was tattooed above his naval. She grazed her nails over the lettering.

"You didn't answer my first question, Blondie," he growled, standing up and pulling on his jeans. Glory giggled and flipped back onto her stomach, watching him closely.

"I'm in your bed because you asked me to come back to your hotel room for a private show. I will admit, the private show was a lot more fun then my routine at the club was."

That's when Mark was thrown backwards in time to the night before. Memories flashed in front of his face; Glory's lap dance, him forcing her to kiss him as she straddled his lap, taking off early from his own party just to take her home and fuck her.

Mark took several shaky steps back before he collapsed onto the chair behind him. He'd cheated on Michelle. With a stripper, no less.

The problem was, it didn't feel like a mistake. Granted, he was madly in love with Michelle and would die for her if he could, but he felt connected with Glory... somehow. He couldn't explain how. She wasn't the usual type of person he would spend time with, let alone date. So why was he feeling this way?

"Don't worry, puddin'," she mused, as if reading his mind. He blinked at her, wondering where she was going with this. "I won't tell if you won't."

With a sultry wink, Glory got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, leaving Mark extremely aroused but also very confused.

This was going to be very interesting.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: The PrideBeforeThe Fall

Chapter Fifteen: The Pride Before the Fall

 _Houston, Texas- May, 2010_

The problem with being engaged to someone as amazing as Michelle, Mark thought, was that temptation was never too far behind. When Glory had returned from her shower, dripping wet and still as sexy as she was when she'd first gone into the bathroom, he had forced her against the wall and taken her, allowing his primal senses to take over. They'd spent most of that morning screwing in the bedroom or anywhere else in the hotel room. It was definitely a good thing that Michelle was in Toronto at the time with RAW instead of Smackdown otherwise she would probably have walked in on them.

Because they couldn't stay away from each other, Mark and Glory had agreed to pursue an affair. Mark found this worked in his favor when he discovered that Glory was based in the Los Angeles area. He was very rarely in that area, the only reason he visited was to see April and her family, Gunner and his family or Abbi who was in Las Vegas. Glory being in that area gave him an extra excuse to visit his kids more.

He was walking through the grocery store one day, dark sun glasses on in full incognito mode, when he spotted Glory in the produce section, leaning on the display rack as she watched someone fondle the water melons. It was a hot summer day in Houston, and she was wearing a pair of dark denim shorts, a red halter-neck top and black strappy sandals. She was the single most attractive woman in the entire store and Mark couldn't help but drop the basket he was holding.

Glory turned her head at the sound and giggled, covering her mouth in such a way that caused Mark to smirk at her. She was playing coy and it was turning him on. He decided to be a tease right back and wink, causing her to laugh even more and look away, placing the tip of her red painted nail in between her teeth. He smiled even more; her smile was something he looked forward to seeing when they did cross paths. The only thing that stopped him, really, from running away with Glory so he could see her smile forever was Michelle.

Oh boy. If Michelle knew of Mark's cheating ways, she would have his head turned into a teapot. If his daughters found out, they would flay him limb by limb. Not that he expected anything less from them, as he had done this once before. When April, Anna, Abbi and Gunner were about three years old, Mark left for Las Vegas, to be with his long-time friend, James, and his twin sister Annabelle. One thing had led to another and Annabelle gave birth to his son, Cooper. Mark had returned to his family not long after he'd found out Annabelle was pregnant and had chosen to suppress it for as long as he could. Gunner had discovered this and brought it up to him on numerous occasions, including in a rap that was the number one most downloaded single of that year. The whole world knew of his first infidelity, they didn't need to know about the second one.

Mark was drawn from his trance when Glory shoved the basket back into his hands.

"Staring at something you like?" she whispered, that same seductive tone lacing her voice and entrancing him once again. He pulled her closer, her hips pressing up against his thighs. He grinned down at her.

"Maybe. But you probably hear that all the time," he replied, kissing the tip of her nose. She grinned up at him.

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't a stripper so I didn't have to hear comments like that," she mused, slipping from his grasp and twirling out of his arms. His gaze followed her. She looked over her shoulder at him and winked. "But then I wouldn't be able to do this."

With her words, she flipped backwards, standing on her hands and splitting her legs so they were a straight line. Ignoring his instincts to run the hell away and return to his fiancee, he walked over to Glory and ran his fingers across her inner thighs, feeling her shiver beneath him. She flipped back to her feet and smiled at him, winking. He knew what that meant; she was daring him to take her in a public place. He may have been a lot of things, but an exhibitionist was not one of them. If he was going to take her, it would be in the privacy of a hotel room.

Which is what he fully intended to do.

~X~

Weeks passed. Weeks turned into months. By the time August had begun, Mark had broken the one commandment he shouldn't have broken; Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery. Even after his marriage to Michelle in June he kept sneaking around with Glory. He couldn't help it; the more time he spent with Glory, the more he felt like he could be himself.

One cold night, when he had left Abbi's house and was on his way to the airport, he decided to stop in to see Glory. She'd given him her address months ago, in case he was ever around, and tonight he decided to take advantage of that. Not that Glory would complain at all; she had given him the address for that exact reason.

When he reached her apartment, above a seedy nightclub on the strip, he knocked. Despite the fact she always left her door open, he was polite enough to wait for her to be available before he stormed in.

The door swung open to reveal Glory in her pajamas; a red and black pair of Minnie Mouse shorts and a red singlet, showing just enough of her wonderful cleavage to be seductive but comfortable. She wore red and black knee high slippers with little fluffy balls hanging from the laces.

"Mark!" She yelped in surprise. He smiled.

"Howdy. I was around, thought I'd stop in to say hi," he replied, running a hand over his hair. She smiled sweetly.

"I'm so glad you're here; I was just about to watch my favorite movie."

"And what would that be?"

"Beauty and the Beast."

Mark nodded his head and stepped into her apartment.

It was a medium-sized studio apartment with posters of Gothic artists on the wall. She had a queen size, four-poster bed up against the back wall, hanging above it was what looked like a hand-painted image of Persephone and Hades, although this version of Hades didn't have the gray skin Mark knew him for. In front of a wall was a TV set up with a sixty inch TV with surround sound and DVDs galore. A big leather sofa was a few feet in front of it, big enough for about five people to lounge on it. Her kitchen was probably the tiniest thing in the whole room. It had enough room to have a pair of black stools near the bench.

"Nice apartment," he said with a sarcastic smile. She raised an eyebrow at him, smile on her face.

"It's big enough for me and me alone, so I see it as home," she replied, sitting down on the sofa in the corner, pulling her knees close to her. Her mood seemed to drop, the room grew cold as she curled up.

"Are you okay?" Mark asked, sitting down on the sofa at her feet. She looked up at him and smiled, but the smile never seemed to touch her eyes' they were still as sad as she seemed. If eyes were the window the the soul, hers was broken and almost beyond repair. He reached over and put his hand on her arm, rubbing his thumb against her cold skin.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," she whispered back, turning away from him. He scowled and tilted her head back to look at him.

"Please, Glory, don't lie to me. I'm already living a lie; I know when someone is lying to me," he insisted, catching her gaze. They were starting to well with tears, causing pain to jolt within him.

Why did he feel this way? She was just a fling, nothing more, nothing less. Why did he care so much about her feelings? Why did he care about her at all, considering he had agreed to marry Michelle, despite the fact he was cheating on her? He loved his wife, and he was excited for them to start their lives together completely. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself, no matter how hard he tried. All he wanted was to be with them both, without all the complicated, messy emotions that came with it.

"I know how it feels to live a lie," Glory whispered, letting the tears fall from her eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "I know how it feels to lie to yourself, just to protect those you love. I can't let you get hurt..." she paused, realizing what she'd said. "Them. I can't let _them_ get hurt."

"An admirable quality, really, but nothing you say or do can hurt me; I've experienced enough pain in my life time to bury my emotions deep enough that they don't affect me anymore."

"That's a lie," she mouthed, trying to look away from him. His thumb kept her facing him though. "What you hide is a little different to what I hide. A little, but not much."

As the tears slipped from her eyes, trailing their way down her tan skin, her irises slowly faded from blue to silver. His hand dropped away from her face and he jumped away from her. He fell to the floor and scooted away from her. The only time he'd even seen someone's eye color swap was when they were of demonic influence, or just plain demons.

"Please don't be afraid of me," she whispered, watching him closely. He gaped at her, wondering why the hell he was in the presence of a demon who still had a soul. "Everyone else is afraid of me. It would kill me if I lost you to something like this. I can't lose you; I refuse to let you go."

It didn't sound like a threat, but Mark's guard was instantly back up. To think, he'd been willing to run away with her only minutes ago. How stupid could he have been to think she was as normal as a daisy?

He watched as she crawled towards him; she looked down at the floor before looking at him with a somber smile. Behind her he saw movement, so he broke her gaze to spy that a bushy red and white fox tail had unfurled itself from inside her shorts. He blinked, watching it flick, flexing itself.

"What..." Mark swallowed back the hoarseness in his throat and tried again. "What are you? Clearly not human, human's can't magically make fox tails appear out of their shorts."

"I'm a shape-shifter, of sorts," she mused softly. He crawled forward and reached for her tail. It curled lovingly around his arm, soft and furry against his skin. He looked back to Glory who grinned. "I didn't want to lie to you anymore, I'm sorry if I scared you."

Mark couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh. This is what she was so afraid of? Of all the things it could have been, that's what she was terrified of?

Glory stared at him and uncurled her tail from around his wrist, swishing it behind him. She crawled down onto the floor next to him, soft smile in place. He smiled in return.

"You don't need to be afraid of losing me," Mark murmured, more to himself than her. "I'm going to lose you, as it turns out."

He stood, almost willing himself to let her go. The further away from her he was right now the better; emotionally and physically, he couldn't be with her right now. It was hard enough to have to say goodbye to his children and his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to Glory. She was everything he'd ever dreamed about; beautiful, smart, funny and everything in between. The literal definition of the perfect woman. By not telling her of his deal with the devil, he was risking breaking his own heart as well as hers.

He loved her, and by the Gods he wanted to keep her safe.

"What do you mean?" she asked, standing and reaching for his hand. He pulled away and turned, staring at the poster above her bed. Lady Persephone and Lord Hades, King and Queen of the Underworld, loyal servants to Lady Iremia.

No, not Iremia. Serenity. Ren. His Goddess. Forever his Queen.

"Mark."

He turned his head, spying Glory in his peripheral vision. She was watching him with concern and curiosity written all over her face. He ran a set of fingers through his hair and turned to face her, allowing his eyes to turn black, his magic building. She stepped back, surprised by this response.

"I sold my soul to the Devil; you'll lose me to her rage when she comes to collect."

Glory's jaw dropped open but before she could even breath, he was gone, enveloped by the flames that would soon consume everything he loved.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: The Truth (Part 1)

Chapter Sixteen: The Truth (Part 1)

 _October 13th, 2010- Austin Texas_

" _It doesn't hurt me; you wanna feel how it feels? You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me. You wanna hear about the deal I'm making. You be running up that hill, you and me be running up at that hill. And if I only could make a deal with God, get him to swap our places. Be running up that road, be running up that hill, be running up that building. If I only could, oh."_

"You listen to some morbid music."

"I'm aware of that."

"Lighten up, big brother."

Mark looked up at Kane as he pushed himself up. He was at the gym today, trying to get himself ready to fight for his soul. It had taken him only hours after his confrontation with Glory to decide that he wasn't going to go down without a fight. If Serenity wanted his soul, fine; she'd have to rip it from him after he was dead. If she wanted a fight, she had one coming for her. The song he was listening to on repeat through his phone was _Running Up That Hill_ by _Placebo._ An appropriate song for his work-out.

"You're telling me to lighten up? Really?"

Kane grinned as he crouched down beside his brother, smiling as he watched Raven, his partner, and their adopted son Cam playing by the treadmills. He looked back at his brother.

"Yes. Ever since I let you go in the woods outside Charlie's you've been grumpy and dead-set on keeping your damn soul. What do you need a soul for, anyway? It's not like a tangible thing you can play with like someone's gall bladder."

Mark forced himself to his feet with a slight grimace. Why did his brother have to be so descriptive?

"One, of course I need my soul. I'm still alive and powerful because of my soul. Two, maybe not, but it doesn't need to be. Three, if you bring up my grumpiness one more fucking time I will skin you and wear you as a coat, understand?"

Kane merely smirked in return, watching Mark go over to his duffle bag and retrieve his water. The older man turned as he was taking a swig of his water and looked at his younger brother. Kane had been out of the asylum for a few months now, and he had been cocky and arrogant ever since he'd evaded capture numerous times. He was on the run again, which was of no surprise to Mark. Kane was dangerous, the most feared and hunted serial killer in modern memory. The fact that he was still killing, despite having been locked away for it, was a feat in itself. Mark was glad he had him as an ally instead of an enemy.

"Case in point," called the bald man, grinning. Mark rolled his eyes and used the wall to scratch his back.

Before Mark could fling his capped water bottle at his brother, his senses were thrown into over drive. Standing in the doorway leading to the reception area was Glory. She had her hair down in loose waves today, reaching to just below her breasts. She had her make-up set to her trade-mark; smokey eyes with bright red lip-gloss. Her many piercings were on display as they glittered in the sun. She wore a deep red corset-style shirt with a vest of the same color over the top, held on by a red belt with a big silver buckle. Though he couldn't really see it under her shirt, she wore a short black skirt, held on by another thick leather belt with a big silver buckle. On her feet were black, spike-Stiletto heels with red jewels hanging from her ankle to between her toes. She looked comfortable but sexy.

He hadn't seen her since that night.

Glory smiled at him when she spotted him, his mouth agape and frozen solid. He forced his mouth closed and looked away, putting his water bottle back in his bag.

It was better if he didn't speak to her. He'd spent the last few months trying to let her go, forcing himself to be selfish. She'd called, of course, but he'd ignored them, adding her number to his block list. It was harder than he thought, but just when he thought he'd managed to detach from the ones who would care if he left, Glory appeared in all her beauty, intoxicating him once again.

A tiny ball-bearing hit him in the side of the face and drew his attention to his brother. Kane grinned up at him.

"One would assume that's Glory?" he asked, pushing himself to his feet. Mark nodded once and grabbed his bag. Best to leave before she tried to speak to him; he was already drunk on her appearance and longed to touch her, but the moment he heard her voice he would be under her spell all over again. Kane didn't understand why he was so conflicted, how could he? Kane didn't feel love, the one time he'd said it was at the risk of Raven walking away and he hadn't said it since.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Mark's curt reply was all Kane heard as his older brother walked away, heading for the back door to the gym.

Cam, being only a year old, came over and yanked on Kane's pants, getting his father's attention. Kane hoisted the small child into his arms and looked at the confused look on his face, letting out a chuckle.

"Ma sa?" he asked, sticking his fingers in his mouth. Kane's mind instantly translated the question to 'Is Uncle Mark sad?' and he laughed, patting the toddler's ginger head.

"No kiddo, he's having a bad day. He'll be okay." Kane smiled when Cam snuggled into his chest.

Raven stepped up beside him, putting a hand on his arm. Kane looked down at him and smirked.

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" asked the blonde, following Kane as he wandered towards the front door of the gym, purposefully walking past a very confused Glory.

"Go after him," was all he said to the blonde woman, startling her. He smiled and left the building.

Mark was leaning against the railing outside the gym when the air around him began to feel warm. He closed his eyes, preying to whatever deity was watching him that it wasn't Glory behind him. He turned his head and cursed his existence.

There she was, walking over to him with that little wiggle in her hips that had caused him to fall in love. He had already admitted it to himself; he loved her. He was head over heels for the little blonde. Granted, he was still desperately in love with Michelle, there was just something about Glory that drew him in and made him want her with everything he had. He would have given up everything for Glory, but in saying that, he wouldn't be able to. His soul belonged rightfully to someone else.

"Mark, why are you running away from me?"

There it was; the question he never wanted to answer. He was running away from everyone, not just her. Normally, he wasn't the type to just up and quit but he didn't really have any other options this time. Michelle was on the east coast with her sister for the next two weeks so she wouldn't be around to see him be flayed alive, and his children were scattered everywhere. April and Gunner was in Los Angeles with their families, Abbi was in Las Vegas with her boyfriend, Anna and her family were in Miami and Sara had Gracie and Chasey in Houston, so he didn't really need to worry about any of them seeing him practically explode. He was pushing everyone he loved away to keep them from seeing his destruction, they didn't need to see him fall apart and then be ripped apart by one hell of a pissed off Goddess.

"I'm not running, I just don't want to talk right now," he replied, stepping away from the railing and heading down the stairs. It was a chilly yet sunny afternoon in Austin, but the sunshine did nothing to help his mood like it usually would. He was determined for nothing to get in his way as he prepared himself to fight back against the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment.

"Mark, please," Glory pleaded as she reached for his arm. His natural instinct to not allow anyone to touch him unless he said it was okay kicked in and flames burst from his skin, singeing the blonde's hand. She yelped and pulled her hand away, looking at Mark as if he had struck her on purpose.

"Something is going to happen to me in a week or so and I don't want you to be around to see it," he seethed, watching as her eyes welled with tears. She tried to swallow them back but failed, allowing two tears to fall, racing each other down her high cheeks-bones and narrow jawline.

"Mark, if you care about me at all, you'll let me in," she almost whined. He closed his eyes, feeling his heart pull. He wanted to tell her everything, but he was under oath not to tell anyone that wasn't immediately related to him lest he be fed to Hades' pet Cerberus. She knew that he'd sold his soul, but whether she believed him or not was a different thing all together.

He turned away, shaking his head as Glory pulled on his arm again, this time not feeling his burn. He wanted to feel her touch one last time. She was starting to be a major thorn in his side, but it wasn't a feeling he minded. It fact, he didn't want her to go. She challenged him in ways no one else ever could. She stood up to him, but also stood by him. She pushed him to the very limit of his consciousness and drew him back in before he broke. She was essentially the equivalent to his soul mate, if he had one. A soul mate relationship wasn't only peaches and cream, but roses with thorns, a fact he knew all too well.

He turned back to her, pulling her close to him by her shoulders and planting his lips against hers, feeling her warm flesh beneath him. She was surprised at first, her body freezing up and becoming rigid, but eventually she melted into him, reaching up to curl her arms around his neck and pull him close. His hands trailed down to the small of her back where they stopped, pressing her closer to him and feeling her every beautiful curve.

"Do you believe in soul mates?" he whispered to her once they'd pulled away. She blinked up at him, confusion darting through her eyes.

"Yes? What does that have to do with you hiding things from me?" she asked, her voice soft as she reached up to play with his hair.

"You are the love of my life, Glory. I love you," he confessed, nudging her nose with his. She gave him a soft smiled as they pressed their foreheads together. He wasn't lying; he did love her and it killed him to push her so far away. He had to; if she was in the blast radius of his destruction and got herself hurt or killed, he would never forgive himself. It would be much easier if he just disappeared.

"What's the difference," she whispered, looking him in the eye, "between the love of your life and your soul mate?"

He grinned and kissed the tip of her perfect nose. "One is a choice, one isn't." The smile never left his face as the next words left his mouth. "I didn't chose you, circumstances did. And I don't want to hurt you, but if you stay, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I don't care. I want to be with you, always."

He grimaced, knowing she wasn't lying to him. He was lying to himself if he said he didn't want to be with her, but circumstances being what they were, he wouldn't allow Glory to get hurt because of his stupid mistake. She was a part of him now, as much a part of him as his children, his grand-children or Michelle.

"So do I, but I can't-"

Glory cut him off by kissing him. It was a fierce kiss, one that was designed to shut him up. It did the job; he was silenced for the minute or so that their tongues danced. When she pulled away she grinned that devilish grin that he loved.

"Meet me at my hotel room later and I'll show you why you can't push me away like your wife," she drawled, winking as she turned on her heel and walked away.

He didn't realize it, but as she'd slipped away from him, she had put a piece of paper into his hand. He looked down at it, taking note of the door opening a second time and Kane's laughter pouring into the silence.

 _Room 405, Mason Hotel._

 _I have something to show you, Marky, that will remind you of just what you've done for me._

 _I love you,_

 _Glory._

"What's that?" Kane asked as he stepped up, holding Cam in one arm and holding Raven's hand. Mark blinked at the piece of paper in his hand before breaking out into a grin, looking at his baby brother. Kane raised an eyebrow at him. The grin continued to grow on Mark's face until he was smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

"My destiny."


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Truth (Part 2)

Chapter Seventeen: The Truth (Part 2)

 _October 13th, 2010- Austin Texas_

By the time Mark got to Glory's hotel room, the sun had already set and the stars were starting to twinkle wickedly in the sky, reminding him, at least subconsciously, how many days he had left. He had to tell Glory tonight that he was going to die, in the most painful way possible, and that pushing her away was a necessary evil. He didn't want her to grieve his death, but laugh about the times they had spent together, forever stored in her memory. He wanted her to breath, knowing that she was loved, from then until the end of time.

He didn't even get the chance to knock before the door was opened and he was dragged by the collar into the dark room. When Glory let him go, he had a split second of a chance to look around before she said anything. The room was dark; all the curtains had been drawn and the only light that could be seen was the coals burning in the fireplace, emitting a soft, orange glow.

"You sure know how to keep a girl waiting," Glory said, curling up on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

She looked worn out; the area beneath her eyes had started to bruise, indicating to him that she hadn't slept in several days, despite the fact she had looked well rested earlier that day. Her hair wasn't as voluminous as it had been earlier, and it had lost it's usual golden shine. She had curled it into a pony-tail, so the black spots that streaked through her hair were incredibly obvious. She was wearing her pajamas again, and her fox tail was nowhere in sight.

It was odd; they were alone where she could be herself, so she didn't need to hide her tail. Why was she choosing to hide it now?

"Did you do something with your hair?" Mark asked, sitting on the sofa beside her. The light from the fireplace illuminated the tears running down her face.

"No. It does that sometimes," she deadpanned, blinking slowly and turning to look up at him. Her eyes weren't their usual blue; they were gray, dotted with streaks of white.

Mark reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes with his thumb, smiling softly at her.

"What's the biggest mistake you've ever made?" he asked, deciding to get straight to one of the points he had rehearsed for this moment, pulling her close to him. She curled up like a helpless child on his chest, sighing softly as he drew affectionate circles on her shoulder.

"My first mistake was falling for a married man," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "My second was lying to him."

Mark's brow furrowed as he looked down at her. She was still crying into his chest, silent tears trailing their way down her beautiful face. His heart felt like it was shattering in his chest, seeing her so sad.

"How have you lied to me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as even as he could. He watched as her bottom lip was tucked in between her teeth and she curled further into him. She shook her head, indicating she didn't want to answer. He smiled and reached up to play with her hair.

"My biggest mistake was to try and create a forever when I'm only meant to be temporary," he mused. This caused her to look up.

"Mark..." she whispered, staring into his eyes. Hers were welling up again. But was she prepared to let them fall? "Mark, you have no real idea how important you are to me, do you?"

This made him smile. She was finally going to tell him why she couldn't push him away like everyone else.

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

She stood from her seat beside him and pulled the band from her hair, letting it free. Her curls fell over her shoulders and he noticed more and more black spots in her hair. It was almost as if her hair was changing before his very eyes, slowly but surely losing its vibrant, golden color.

"You're the reason I'm here," she mused, turning to face him. She smiled, her face softening. He raised an eyebrow. "I fell in love with a mad-man in a trench-coat, and I wish I could die for him."

He smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"I wish I knew how to die," he laughed, grinning at her. "Then I would definitely die do you."

Glory's face seemed to harden as she smirked.

"Dear Markus, you already have died for me."

Mark felt a chill as he watched Glory's eyes turn black, tiny red and blue veins appearing on the skin outside. He knew of only one being that ever happened to.

"What...?" he stammered, standing and backing away from her. Glory grinned even wider, her hair darkening as she spoke.

"What's wrong, pet? Don't you recognize me?" she laughed, raising her hand. Inside the palm of her hand spun a tiny tornado, not small enough to change anything, but enough to put Mark's senses into over drive as he made a break for the door.

Before he'd even made it halfway across the room, Glory was in front of him and pushing against his chest, launching him onto the bed at the far end of the room. Mark rubbed his head as he sat up, feeling it throb from where he'd hit it on the headboard. His focus blurred and the world seemed to start spinning like a roulette wheel. When his vision cleared, he shook his head slightly and looked at Glory. She was stepping across the room, with each step more dread seemed to fill him up. He closed his eyes, wanting with everything he had to flame out and return to his wife. He couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.

His magic was blocked.

That's when he heard them. The jingling bells that had filled his nightmares since he was ten years old. The bells and charms that were curled around the Goddess of Bargaining and Judgment's ankles.

He didn't want to, but he forced himself to open to his eyes. There, where Glory had been previously, was Serenity. Her hair was loose and to her shoulders in a pixie cut. She wore her usual get-up; the black crop top with purple trim that exposed her bare stomach, the long skirt that fell to the floor, as black as the void. She was barefoot except for those damn bells that jangled as she climbed onto the bed, forcing him to back up against the headboard.

"Did you really think someone as perfect as Glory really existed?" she whispered, coming nose to nose with him. He blinked, his steely gaze never leaving hers. No matter what tricks she used, he would fight.

"That's low, even for you, Ren," he retorted, his temper bubbling. She'd lied to him, forced him to live a lie for the last six months. She'd forced him to fall in love with something that wasn't real. She had played him for a fool.

Serenity grinned, putting her hands on his chest and dragging her black nails down.

"I can be much worse, my love. I am the ruler of Hell, after all," she drawled, leaning in so they were almost nose to nose.

"I haven't forgotten," he deadpanned, eyeing the Goddess closely. She smirked in return, grabbing his shirt by the collar and throwing him across the room, her speed and strength on show.

Before he could register that he'd made a dint in the wall, she was picking him up again, this time by his ankle, and throwing him against the bathroom wall. She threw him a few more times before kicking him in the ribs, watching him slide across the polished wooden floors and smack into the door.

"Have you figured it out yet?!" She yelled, though he barely heard it with the blood rushing around his brain.

Serenity was using him as a cat toy and there was nothing he could do about it. The more he tried to use his magic to heal himself and fight back, the more he felt drained and lethargic. Every time he forced himself to lean on his elbows, she would kick him in the ribs and cause pain to ricochet throughout his body, enough to send white sparks across his vision. He coughed up blood and groaned with every failed landing. She was trying to destroy his body before she stole his soul, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to die.

"Why are you not fighting back?" she asked, eyeing him as he lay there, attempting to breath through what was obviously a collapsed lung. She seemed almost concerned.

"Because I can't," he coughed, blood splattering the ground in front of him.

"I am not suppressing your powers. If I was going to do that I wouldn't be here," she seethed, leaning down and grabbing his shirt and ripping him to a sitting position. "Fight back!"

She slapped him across the face, leaving her dainty hand-print on his cheek, forcing him to slump against the wall. He looked up at her, determination filling his eyes. But it wasn't determination she wanted; it was fight, the desire to survive.

"No," he snarled, hauling himself to his feet.

"Fight back!" she screeched again, kicking him in the chest. He landed back first against the wall, but still he stood up and faced her.

"No, and here's why; you do not control me. You never have. You failed in your bid to have a perfect killing machine at your finger-tips, Ren. I will not be your slave."

She stepped back, confusion darting across her eyes momentarily. Those silver eyes flashed briefly before disappearing into the void once again. He smirked.

"Why do you want me to fight back, Ren? Huh? Why do you want me to hurt you?"

Instead of responding, her gaze hardened and she swung, punching him in the jaw and knocking him back against the wall. He smirked and spat more blood, feeling his jaw starting to bruise from how many times she'd hit him. He stood and faced her, towering over her petite frame. She was seething and he grinned.

"Why do you want me to hurt you?" he repeated, watching her demeanor. She took a deep breathe and hit him again, this time in the stomach, driving the air from his lungs. He coughed and faced her again. "Why do you want me to hurt you?"

He asked, again and again, each and every time he got the same answer. She hit him, in some shape or form, that seemed to get softer and softer as she went.

"Why do you want me to hurt you?"

Serenity had started to tremble, he could see her shaking, but her gaze stayed as sharp as it had before. He stepped close to her and she shoved him back, though it wasn't hard enough to move him. Her hands remained on his chest as her shoulders shook, her stare softening as the mighty Goddess broke in front of him, tears streaming down her face.

"Why do you me to hurt you, Ren?" he repeated softly, feeling her lean into his chest, her sobs breaking through the silence. He reached up to stroke her head.

"I don't want to do this," she whispered, not bothering to look him in the eye.

Mark continued to stroke her hair as she cried, letting her real emotions through. He could feel her shaking underneath him and he knew he'd gotten to the real Serenity, the real reason he had been played for as long as he had.

The block in his powers boiled down to one reason; he didn't want use them against her. Some part of him had known all along that there was no difference between Glory and Serenity. They were far too similar for it to be a coincidence. He'd let himself fall in love with the one who wanted to kill him long before he'd even known Glory anyway; the night they'd made love always played in his head right before he went to sleep so he went to the land of Nod with a smile on his face. He could only love someone completely if they owned every part of him, and Serenity had always owned his soul. He was hers; not her toy to be played with, but her companion and lover, for this life and the rest. If that meant he had to be flayed alive to be with her, then so be it. He wanted nothing else.

"What don't you want to do?" he mused, his voice soft and soothing. She unfurled her arms from his chest and looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face.

"I don't want to hurt you, but the rules for deal we made are very clear; I have to," she answered, her voice hushed.

Mark smiled and curled his hands behind her head, winking as she smiled softly up at him.

"Why?"

Serenity continued to smile, although right now the smile was sultry, coy and playful all in one.

"For the last forty years, my pet, I have been watching you. Every day I would watch you wake up and challenge the world to strike you down. The Gods had not the courage to try, and I watched every day as you smirked and said 'Yes, that's what I thought.' I watched as you brought children into the world, each beautiful and magical in their own right, and taught them values and morals that you yourself do not possess. I watched as you burned my demons and raised hell on Earth, all while keeping the little flame that is your family lit and bright. I watched as you became a man, cursed with a terrible burden, but still chose to believe in something good, that your powers could create a better world."

She turned her head away from him, thinking about what she'd said. He tilted her head back to face him.

"This world is a cruel, miserable place," he mused, holding her cheeks to face him. The corner of her lip twitched. "We're here to lose everything we love, no matter the circumstance. My job was to make it that little bit better for who I'm leaving behind. And no God can take that from me."

Serenity's brow furrowed as the tears slipped from her eyes.

"I don't want to take it from you. I've fallen in love with you. And that, my love is not a lie."

Mark kissed her forehead.

"I know there is no way around it, so take it."

Serenity's sharp intake of breathe told Mark everything he needed to know; she was surprised by his response. He smiled, his fingers still curled in her hair.

"I have nothing left to lose, Serenity." Her brow furrowed as he spoke, wondering just where he was going with this. The fact that he'd used her name instead of her nickname only cemented how serious he really was; his children were mostly grown, his wife could learn to live without him and his brother didn't care either way. He was finally able to confront his decision and face it with courage. "I've come to terms with my mistake and I'm finally ready to give everything to you. You already have my heart, you've had my mind and body in your hands for the last four decades. My soul is yours to do with what you will."

Serenity's soft smile returned, this time touching her eyes. They became that beautiful silver he loved, filled with affection and regret. He knew what that meant; she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to kill him, take everything from him that he'd worked so hard to build.

Mark dropped to his knees at her feet, his arms splayed to the side, like Jesus on the cross. She watched him kneel, a curious look in her eyes. He smiled up at her.

"You've already got all of me, Serenity, given willingly. Now take the rest."

Serenity cocked her head to the side slightly and reached down to drag her finger down the middle of his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as she went. Once she'd removed his shirt and thrown it aside, she tilted his head up to face her. The smile never left her face.

"I do not want your soul anymore, my Markus," she soothed, grinning as a very confused look crossed her lover's face. "I want this."

Before Mark could even think of responding, Serenity rammed her hand into his chest, piercing flesh and muscle as she found his ribs and split them apart. It sent waves of pain through him; he spluttered and coughed, feeling what was left of his right lung collapse as her nails punctured it. He felt her fingers curl around his heart, keeping it beating with a steady rhythm as she sent electric sparks through it. He gasped, feeling each and every beat. He wanted to collapse into a pool of his own blood and have it be over, but he didn't have the chance; Serenity tilted his head up to face her again and smiled.

"Finder's keepers," she mused, retracting her hand. He forced his chest to heal, reviving the organs that had been torn apart by her little show of power. He smirked up at her.

"Was that really necessary?" he laughed, watching his skin heal over. He still retained all of his bruises though; he'd let those heal naturally on their own, to show that he still had a little bit of human left inside of him.

"For my own amusement," she replied with a wink, offering her hand to him. He took it and was jolted to his feet. "There is a way out of our deal, but it would be asking far too much."

Mark smiled and pulled her close to him, holding her close by her waist. She brought her arms up and curled them around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes just to reach him. He was almost a foot taller than her after all.

"Anything for you, my Queen," he laughed, causing her to grin.

"Have you ever heard of a Guardian?" she asked, her voice softening. His eyebrow rose.

"No, enlighten me."

"A Guardian is a mortal who is sanctioned with the task of protecting a certain God or Goddess," she explained, playing with his pony-tail. He smiled. "What that means, my sweet, is the God or Goddess would entrust that person with their immortality. If they were to perish in the line of battle, the Deity would forfeit their right to call themselves a God and would become mortal, an thus able to be killed."

A crack of lightening lit up the room before Mark could process all the information he'd been given, and he jumped back, startled by the sudden flash of light. Serenity seemed annoyed as she turned to face the bed across the room.

Standing in front of the trunk at the foot of the bed stood a beast of a man. He was nearly seven feet tall with long white hair and an even longer beard and muscles upon muscles. He wore a crown of gold and and sapphire and a necklace with the same color scheme. He was bare chested except for a gold and sapphire shoulder plate that was encrusted with a lightening bolt. His robes were black with a gold trim, hanging from his toned stomach to the floor. On his wrist was what appeared to be a gauntlet with the same crest as his shoulder plate. He looked incredibly angry; lightening seemed to sizzle from his eyes and hands, like a storm ready to explode.

Serenity bowed her head to the newcomer and Mark's jaw dropped open. He didn't need anyone to confirm who had joined them; he knew exactly who it was.

Zeus, God of Lightening and ruler of Olympus, home of the Gods.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: The Pact

Chapter Eighteen: The Pact

 _October 13th, 2010- Austin Texas_

Serenity grinned when she turned back to face Mark; his eyes were wide and his jaw had hit the floor. She tucked her finger under his chin and forced his mouth closed, escaping his embrace. She walked over to Zeus and pulled up the edges of her skirt, bowing politely.

"Lord Zeus," she mused, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Zeus' lip twitched into a smirk.

"I realize that the Underworld is not my jurisdiction, and we Olympians abandoned the mortals a long time ago, but I came because you are about the make a terrible mistake."

Serenity snorted laughter, summoning a cloud to curl up on. She flopped onto it and relaxed, stretching back within the puffs beneath her. Mark watched Zeus as he sat down on the trunk, looking at the Deadman with a look of disdain.

"If you were to become her guardian, you would agree to everything she ever asks of you," he explained, causing Serenity to laugh from her cloud. Mark looked over at her.

"Basically," she mused, flicking a lose strand of hair back, "if I say jump, you ask 'off which cliff, your grace.' Simple."

"Iremia," Zeus scolded, shooting her a glance. She poked her tongue out at him and looked over at Mark. He was still frozen in place, his face drained of color. She grinned at him and blew him a kiss, causing him to blink and stare at her.

"Oh, Markus, relax. The God of Bright Lights and Loud Noises won't hurt you. Regardless of what he says, the decision to become my Guardian or not is your choice alone."

"Correct," Zeus interjected, waving his hand to get Mark's attention again. "The life of a Guardian is not an easy one. You'll be in hiding for the rest of your existence, and will only see Iremia when she is in dire need of your assistance. As she is the leader of the Underworld, unless there is an uprising, the only time you will get to spend together at all is when she needs your help."

"The choice is his alone, Zeus," Serenity spat, slipping down from her cloud and stepping up to him. He was much taller than her, but that didn't stop her from standing toe-to-toe with the Olympian. "Do not try to waver his decision."

Mark watched the two begin to bicker in silence. His brain had shut down, almost completely. He was on autopilot to the point he had to force himself to breathe. He was in shock and awe to be in the presence of a God, not that it should have shocked him at all; he'd had an all-out brawl with Hades and a pleasant if-not cryptic conversation with Persephone, and he had made love to Serenity. All three appeared in the Greek Pantheon somewhere, mentioned in stories from Ancient Greece.

He reached up to rub his head, hoping this wasn't just some fucked up dream, but he felt the lump on his head from slamming against the headboard; it stung as he grazed his fingers over it. He wasn't dreaming. Zeus was really giving him a warning against being a guardian. He blinked. Why was Zeus warning him? He hadn't given any details as to why it would be the wrong choice and Serenity was allowing him to make the choice by his own free will. He weighed the pros and cons in his head, using the two arguing deities as time to think.

If he chose to be Serenity's guardian, he wouldn't be able to see her whenever he pleased, but it meant he could spend more time with his kids and wife. He did love Michelle, despite everything that had gone down with Serenity, and he would stick to his vows to always love and protect her. Granted, he hadn't been exactly faithful to her, but he did want to be with her. His kids still relied on him; he had lost count how many times April, Anna and Abbi had come to him for advice on any of the million things that were going on in their lives. Gunner was as distant as he always had been but he knew if he needed Mark, he was there. Gracie and Chasey were still too young to understand what would happen if he left. He needed his kids almost as much as they needed him; they were his rocks, the things that held him to the mortal plane. Agreeing to be Serenity's guardian meant he had time to focus on the thing that had always meant everything to him; his family.

On the other hand, choosing to say no to her and agreeing with Zeus left him with an even shorter time limit then he had when Glory had first appeared. Instead of months, he had days, possibly less, to spend time with everyone he loved. It meant Serenity would have to rip his soul from his body, though he knew she didn't want to do it. He didn't want to put her through that, but being her guardian was a big responsibility, one he had no idea if he was ready for. Her life would rest on his ability to fight back the thousands of creatures and beings that wanted her dead. If he let her go, let everything go, she'd still be safe. She'd find a new lover, no doubt, and she would still remain High Queen of Hell.

If he chose to be selfish, he wouldn't need to give anything up. His life would return to normal. If he chose to be selfless, Serenity would be safe, but he would be dead and never have the chance to watch his youngest kids grow up, watch his grandchildren become adults and start their own lives.

"I've made a decision," he finally said, his voice croaky and breaking. He coughed, restarting his voice box. Zeus looked over Serenity's shoulder at him, his eyebrow raised. Serenity smirked as she turned to face him, her eyes curious. Mark took a deep breath.

"I've decided to become Serenity's Guardian."

Serenity's smile grew, her eyes darting to Zeus briefly and watching his brow furrow.

"You've got to be kidding me," he hissed, standing up straight and crossing his massive arms over his chest. "Why would you choose to protect her, knowing that when you die, her life becomes forfeit?"

"Because," Mark sighed, stepping up behind Serenity and putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm strong enough to keep her safe. And as you two are the only ones who will know about this, I'm much harder to be tracked by anyone who would want to hurt her." He smirked, watching Zeus' expression fade from confusion to anger. "Besides, you said it yourself, Zeus, I won't be able to see her unless she needs me anyway."

"I always need you," Serenity whispered, reaching up to hold his hand. He rubbed his thumb against her skin.

Zeus, realizing he had no ground to stand on, sighed loudly and snapped his fingers. A red ribbon floated into his hand and curled around his wrist. He handed it to Serenity.

"You do it; I have no power over you."

And with a flash of bright light and the sound of thunder rumbling, Zeus disappeared.

Serenity turned to face him and curled her arms around his neck, jumping into his arms and kissing him, her tongue wrapping around his in their embrace.

When she pulled away, Mark grinned at her, feeling for the first time in a very long time like he was complete.

"So, how do I become your guardian?" he asked, kissing the tip of her nose. She giggled and slid her arms down his chest as he put her down. She tilted her head, holding up the ribbon that was wrapped around her wrist. Without saying a word, she grasped his forearm, smiling when he grabbed hers in return, and wrapped the ribbon around their arms. Mark watched her wrap it around four times before letting it go and looking up at him.

Snapping her fingers, Serenity grinned up at him, watching new light flicker around them. Mark turned his head, watching as five candles floated to the ground. As they landed, gold sparks shot into the air from beneath them. Mark watched as the golden light shot out, zipping around the floor in lines. When they stopped, a golden pentagram had appeared around them, surrounding them. He could feel warm air circling around them and he turned to Serenity, smiling. The candles around them lit one by one until they were surrounded in light.

"You don't have to say anything, my love," she whispered, holding tightly to Mark's arm. He raised an eyebrow. "As long as the intention is there and it is as honest and true as you are, this spell will work."

Mark watched as she closed her eyes. The warmth curled around them, making both of them feel connected and close. There was no going back now, not that he had the urge to leave. He would stay and stick to his promise.

 _To my lover, dearest he,_ she said, still holding his arm. He grip tightened. _Bound together I wish to be._

 _Eternal love and safety I seek,  
Our future bright and never bleak._

 _Open up, be true to me,  
Love me deep and never flee.  
I'll not hurt you ever or,  
Desert you so let our love soar._

 _Our union now intensify,  
Never fear and never lie.  
So we will stand the test of time,  
For true love is not a crime._

 _An it be truly told and done,  
Our loving wishes to be won.  
Take this spell and make it be,  
As I will it, so mote it be._

Mark flinched slightly as the dragon tattoo that was usually hidden on Serenity's arm slowly appeared on her skin, curling as the ink darkened and warped to the curves of her arm. He felt his wrist burn where the tattoo had bitten him. Blood pooled in Serenity's hand before dripping slowly to the ground. Mark watched as the dragon's tail slithered down her arm and curled around her forearm below his hand. It's head popped out from under his fingers and appeared to grin at Mark, watching its own tail cut open Serenity's arm. She sighed softly, having never experienced this before. Blood dripped from her arm and joined his on the floor. The life-giving substance swirled beneath them, blending together. Mark looked back up at Serenity as her eyes slowly opened. A soft smile appeared on her lips so he smiled in return.

"That looked euphoric," he uttered, feeling his arm sting. She held tight to his arm, her eyes becoming a pale gray.

"It was. This may hurt a little, my love, I am sorry."

Mark raised an eyebrow, wondering just what she was talking about. The smile disappeared from her face as she tugged on the ribbon. It floated the ground, landing in an 'S' shape around the droplets of blood. He watched as she pulled her hand away. Between their wrists was a golden chain, holding them together. The harder she tugged on it, the brighter it became. Her arm returned to her side, the chain fading away. Mark looked at the palm of his hand. He had a second bloody bite-mark beside the scar from the first time he'd been bitten by the dragon. As he watched, the bloody grooves turned gold and began to heal. He could feel the warmth flooding through his arm and into his body.

Mark looked at Serenity as red-hot, pain ripped through him. He collapsed into a heap on the ground, trying with everything he had to keep himself at least on all fours. Serenity stepped away from him as he convulsed, trying with everything he had not to throw-up and black out. Pain ricocheted around his head and through his limbs. He could feel his ribs and spine cracking under whatever pressure it was that was torturing him. He wanted to scream out in pain but his voice-box was useless once again. He could feel his heart slowing and then speeding up again, multiple times, sending nauseating flashes throughout his chest and abdomen. His stomach felt like it was full of pressurized salt acid and was preparing to burst from the seams. He could feel everything and nothing all at the same time; both hypersensitivity and numbness washed through him. He was dying, there was no other explanation for the pain he was in.

"For a star to be born," Serenity said from somewhere in the room, "there is one thing that must happen." He tried to follow her voice as his skull burned. "A gaseous nebula must collapse." Through the flashes of light in his vision, he watched as Serenity crouched down in front of him, her eyes weary and apologetic. "Collapse, my love. Crumble. This is not your destruction." She curled her fingers around his jaw and forced him to look at her, soft smile on her face.

"This is your birth."


	20. Epilogue

Epilogue

 _December 25th, 2010- Los Angeles, California- Cold Rock Hotel Penthouse_

The night air was crisp and fine in Los Angeles, as it usually was during winter. It was Christmas Night, and the street lights in the city below twinkled like stars in the night sky. The air currents from the west brought with them the Winds of Santa Ana, the winds of change that many people had been waiting for. On nights like this, every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little housewives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. On nights like this, anything can happen. The tallest skyscrapers of the city seemed to touch the sky, cutting through the clouds like blades. Many a man was standing on their balconies tonight, admiring the view that was awarded to them.

In one of the buildings stood a man. Tall, long dark hair, a goatee and tattoos. He wore a Nick Cave and the Birthday Party t-shirt and faded black jeans, tucked roughly into the top of a pair of well-worn biker boots. He was an average man in appearance, but he was far from it. In his hand was his one means of communication with someone he had sworn to protect and he was deeply enthralled in conversation with her.

The glowing ball of light swirled and danced against Mark Calaway's fingertips as he stood on the balcony of the Cold Rock Hotel's Penthouse suite. Inside the ball was Serenity's beautiful face. She was curled up on the sofa in her suite, toying with the bells on her ankles. He smiled at her, watching as she turned to face him.

"Ren," he mused, continuing the conversation they'd been having. "I don't care if you can't take them off. Those bells give me the creeps."

"I know," she mused, yanking on the chain around her ankle. He smirked at her and shook his head, his pony-tail whipping back and forth.

"It's Christmas Night, babe; I need to go back inside and spend some time with my kids."

Serenity grinned back at him and stood from her position on the couch, walking over to the Crystal Chalice that was home to another ball of light, hovering above the giant goblet as she and Mark conversed.

"Your kin are trapped in time until you return inside, so you have all the time in the world right now."

Mark smirked.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"That's a dangerous statement for there are many things you do not know, and even more things which should be kept secret," she whispered in return. She winked at him and he let out an exasperated sigh, dropping his head to the balcony railing, shaking it as he laughed.

"You're annoyingly cryptic sometimes, Ren."

Serenity shrugged, grinning.

"I try."

Mark smirked as he watched her move around the suite. The ball in his hand allowed him to call on her whenever he needed to talk to her and they hadn't spoken since Halloween, when he'd flamed into Hell's highest point, Limbo, just to see her. She had explained what his duties were and had sent him home with a swift slap to the butt.

Serenity sat back down on the sofa in front of the chalice with a box on her lap. It was wrapped in black wrapping paper with a red bow on top. His Christmas present to her. He smiled as she toyed with the bow.

"Can I open it now?" she asked, looking at him with a look of child-like curiosity. He nodded his head, smiling. She grinned and removed the ribbon from outside the box, pulling off the bow and flipping the lid open. She reached inside and pulled out a crystal, about the size of his fist, in the shape of a heart. Inside swirled red liquid, twirling and curling around a black crystal. She held it up and smiled at it.

"I give you my heart," he said with a cheeky grin. She turned back to him and smiled.

"A wonderful gift," she mused. His grin grew wider. She gently placed the heart back in the box and set it aside, snapping her fingers.

A tiny ball of cloud appeared in front of Mark's head, about a foot away. He reached out and grabbed it, feeling something soft and blocky inside it. He pulled it free, watching the small swirl disappear. In his hand was a velvet box, royal blue and soft. He pulled his hand away from the glowing ball, quirking an eyebrow as it stayed levitating, Serenity's beautiful face still smiling up at him. He flicked open the box and grinned as he reached in to retrieve the pendant that was sitting between the plush folds. It was a dragon, much like the dragon that had bitten him twice now, curled around an emerald stone, its wings expanded. He smiled and slipped it around his neck, looking down as it swung gently back and forth across his chest.

"Do you like it?" Serenity asked. He looked back at her and smiled, nodding his head.

"My love, I will never take it off."

It was true; he never intended to. Serenity was not only his lover and friend, now, but also his charge. He had vowed to protect her and love her, no matter the danger. Despite everything she'd put him through in the lead up to that faithful night in Austin, he couldn't hate her. Truth be told, he wanted to hate her, he wanted with everything to loathe her, but whenever he brought it up to her, she always made a very good point. He wasn't the same person he was when he'd made the deal.

When he was a kid, he'd hated the life he lived. He had no friends, he was the home-schooled son of a mortician with a little brother who followed him around like a bad smell. His parents never paid attention to him, Paul never seemed to care about him. He was an angry child with pent up aggression that boiled over and he set out on a destructive path, trying with everything he had to terminate everything that had caused him to feel that way. He'd almost succeeded; he and Kane had survived, and thus he was given a new lease on life. With that came new people that he was incredibly thankful for and new experiences that he wouldn't trade for anything.

Jodi. Jodi had started him back on the path he needed to be on to be where he was today. She had showed him that not everything in the world was as dark and evil as he thought it to be. She had shown him the light when all he had seen was darkness and cruelty. Life had been perfect and sweet until that fateful day in November when she had been taken from him. He'd been lost, but he couldn't stray back into the darkness like he had wanted to. He had little ones that relied on him to protect them and raise them to be the best people they could be. His kids became his world; he did everything he could to keep them safe and guarded from everything that was evil, all while giving them a fulfilling childhood. They had grown up to be exactly what he'd hoped for; charming, charismatic individuals with a sense of self that could move mountains.

With Kane's return, Mark's perspective had shifted again. Protecting himself and the ones he loved the most became his biggest priority. The night Kane had appeared in his backyard had been a night of clarity; he hadn't lied when he'd said he was happy to see him. It was like a piece of himself that he'd lost had returned. He felt somewhat complete again. He still had pieces missing, but he could find them again. He had the chance to begin his life journey again, fixing as many mistakes as he could before his timer expired.

Emily. He still remembered that night on the beach when he'd saved her life. Granted it was for a different reason, but the fact that she was still alive made him feel as if his powers weren't inherently evil. He was a champion of good, a protector of the innocent and a warrior for justice, even if that only meant keeping his family and a few strangers safe. Emily had reminded him that he didn't need to hide himself away from the world to keep the ones he loved safe; he could socialize. His children had; they'd fallen in love and raised their own children, despite the handicap his oldest three had. Their abilities as good witches made them targets for demons and creatures of darkness, but he knew they could take care of themselves. Gunner, Gracie and Chasey had the advantage of never knowing the darker side of the world they lived in, keeping them safe.

Michelle was a dream come true. She was someone who knew his darkness but loved him anyway. 'I'm in love with an angel who's afraid of the light,' she had said on their wedding day, causing him to smile, 'his halo is broken but there's fight in his eyes.' He had loved her for almost three years now, and he would continue to love her until the day he died. A lot of his work colleagues didn't understand why. Her body was far from perfect; a sag here, a scar there, a little too soft in places. She always seemed to worry what he would think, but when he laid her bare, he saw only beauty, desire and the woman he loved. That's what real love is; when he was better because she's there. She had saved him, even when he didn't think he deserved to be saved.

Now he was stronger than ever, as powerful as he was before, but much more certain as to what his future held. He was free to live his life according to his own design. He was in charge of his destiny. He wasn't the soulless being he'd started this journey as. He had a soul, a heart... a life.

As he finished up his conversation with Serenity, Mark turned back to the penthouse doors and waved his head, watching the still frames of his children, their families, and his wife start moving again, happy to be spending the holidays together. April had her youngest child curled up on her lap while Xander, dressed as jolly old Saint Nick, brought presents out for everyone. Hailie was playing with her little sisters enjoying the holidays with her family, Gunner and a heavily pregnant Cassie were seated on the sofa, watching Carter try and balance his spinning disks on his finger tips. The blonde angel that was his darling wife was seated by the fire, clapping along to whatever music was playing. He could see happiness twinkling in their eyes as they spent time together, enjoying each others company. He grinned to himself and stepped back inside, catching Lara as she jumped into his arms.

Serenity observed the whole thing from her seat on the sofa in her suite, watching Mark spend the holidays with his family, finally happy for the first time in a very long time. She smiled, a single tear streaking down her face. The double doors to her suite opened as she deactivate the chalice. She turned her head, watching as a tall blonde male and a slightly shorter ginger female stepped into the room. The female flopped down onto the love seat across her her, lounging as if she owned the place. The male stayed near the door, watching with steel-blue eyes as his twin relaxed.

"Blakius, Brookai," she addressed them, reaching up to curl her hair into a bun. Brookai grinned at her before flopping her head back, whistling a tune to herself.

Blakius was the first of the two to speak. With a polite bob of the head, he smiled at the High Queen of Hell.

"Mother, when will we get to meet our father?"

Serenity felt her heart tug. She looked down at the box beside her, retrieving the crystal heart from its home. She held it up and watched the blood pulse, simulating a steady beat. Her lips twitched into a smile as she turned back to the twins, watching them eye her.

"Soon, my son. Very, very soon."

To Be Continued


End file.
